Cordia Domestic Sports Newswire

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:41 pm

The Cordian Isles currently has two major leagues which are relevant to the international community for participation in international club competitions, and whose sports are often participated in by the Isles. These are the Cordian Isles Ice Hockey League and the Cordia Football Association.
These leagues comprise a regular season, followed by the Cordia Cup, a single-elimination tournament composed of every single professional team.

Following the completion of the internationalization process, many teams were added to Cordian professional sports. The changes were so massive that the leagues have restarted recording league history and changed their names.

Cordia Football Association: An 80-team association football (soccer) league with 4 leagues from A through D, twenty in each. Also has a Youth (U19) division consisting of 15 teams which A and B League teams are assigned to by location.

Cordian Isles Hockey League: 30-team hockey league split into three divisions (AAA, AA, A) with relegation/promotion of the bottom/top two teams between them with a 108-game regular season followed by double-elimination playoffs. Winning the playoffs is considered significantly more prestigious than winning the regular season, but both are celebrated and acknowledged.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:43 pm

Cordia National Football Team

In Cordia's first-ever major international football competition, they come in with low expectations and high hopes. The AOCAF is one of the most competitive tournaments in the world, and no win here is ever guaranteed. This tournament, which is likely to consist of the world's better teams delivering a pummeling to the Cordian side, will serve mostly as a warm-up for the upcoming Baptism of Fire, getting the jitters out and facing stiff competition so that the football machine runs smoothly against the unranked sides of the Baptism. In terms of strategy, the team plays a balanced style, which could prove interesting given the extremes seen in the CIFA, as players will have to adjust to being more conservative on the attack and more aggressive on the defense.

The Cordian NT is managed by Nepharan Diandra Ballard, a former goalkeeper for the Nepharan national team, as well as playing for legendary club AFC Treason. Having spent years playing and performing for the best, and watching from behind when she wasn't in the play, Cordians are expecting big things from Ballard. The step up from managing a second division team, even in Nephara, to a national team, even one like Cordia's, is hard to understate, so for now Cordians can just hold their breath and hope for the best as the AOCAF begins.

Striker Sebastian Voll
Team: Brenville Blue
Age: 28
Captain
Known for his positioning and a hard, accurate shot, Voll has been Brenville's top scorer for three years running. With the departure of Poplawski, Voll takes over as team captain heading into AOCAF 65, and it remains to be seen how he will perform in that role.
Substitute: Jorie Rounds | Jutland Cannons | 23

Striker Anton Osterholt
Team: Gilded City Dragons
Age: 22
Osterholt is very good with his feet, able to completely sell a fake, which has earned him the nickname “Anton Anklebreaker”. He's expected to be the primary scorer on a Dragons team that emphasizes a defensive, conservative approach to football.
Substitute: Ine van Dijck | Creston Wolves | 27

Left Midfielder Nicholas Eriksen
Team: Cordasfjord FC
Age: 27
Eriksen is well-known for his crosses and passing, an important skill for him as he will be responsible for getting the ball into the box from the left side.
Substitute: Lucas van Oers | Jutland FC | 24

Left Center Midfielder Hannah Andersen
Team: Thor’s Rest Storm
Age: 26
Great communication allows Andersen to "overcome" a lack of skill more perceived by sports pundits than real, though many of Andersen's best plays have been made with her head rather than her feet. A more defensive-minded midfielder who will not give up the inside of the field.
Substitute: Henry Smits | Vikings FC | 27

Right Center Midfielder Bee Karjalainen
Team: Brenville Blue
Age: 28
Karjalainen is newer to the team, added after a solid CIFA performance despite being part of the strained 4-2-4 Brenville midfield. Karjalainen's best skill is her endurance. She never seems to run out of fuel and it seems like she can be everywhere at once in Brenville. She doesn't have to worry about that in the NT's 4-4-2, but she will be able to cover if desperation hits.
Substitute: Erik Pratt | Jutland Cannons | 28

Right Midfielder Rasmus Karlssen
Team: Thor’s Rest Storm
Age: 23
Rasmus has been called the smartest player in the CIFA, and for good reason. He can read the opposition like an open book and excels at creating scoring chances. Space and gaps in opposing defense often just seems to materialize in front of him. Storm fans call him "the Magician".
Substitute: Perry Oosterhuis | Skalton Harpers | 26

Left Back Eric Johnson
Team: Creston Wolves
Age: 24
An aggressive defender, Johnson will challenge any attempt to move down his side. This is a risky strategy that can result in a major change either way, and it’s a major reason for Creston’s Cordia Cup victory last season.
Substitute: Lucia Verkerk | Gilded City Dragons | 23

Left Center Back Redvin Chase
Team: Jutland Cannons
Age: 26
Chase is one of the CIFA's better defenders, with a solid header that often proves critical to the Cordian defense on set pieces. Chase does play a physical game, though, and he could see the yellow and red cards pile up if that gets out of hand.
Substitute: Milani Göransson | Brenville Blue | 23

Right Center Back Frederick Johnson
Team: Jutland FC
Age: 24
Another solid center back, Johnson excels at pinpoint passes and keeping attackers on the outside per the Cordian gameplan.
Substitute: Sigrid Altena | Skalton Harpers | 26

Right Back Vladimir Demov
Team: Danvirk FC
Age: 28
Demov is one of the best defenders in the CIFA, with a powerful shot that can score from outside and impeccable defensive positioning. His experience anchors the Cordian backline.
Substitute: Jean Admiraal | Valley Fold Vengeance | 26

Goalkeeper Kristin Bergstrin
Team: Jutland Cannons
Age: 24
Bergstrin is an exceptional goalkeeper who signed with Cannons over the offseason in order to leave the doomed Lakeshore Hersir. She has been one of the most successful keepers in her time, though there is debate as to whether this is to her credit or the defenses she's been fortunate enough to have in front of her.
Substitute: Jordi Jongen | Creston Wolves | 23

RP Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose my scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y, but I decide severity
Godmod Injuries to my players: N
Give Yellow Cards to my players: Y
Give Red Cards to my players: Y, up to once per match.
Godmod other events: Y, but TG me first.
Style Modifier(-5 to +5): 0

Suggestions
Top Scorers: Voll, Osterholt
Most Physical: Demov
Set Piece Takers: Eriksen, Karlssen

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:49 pm

League A                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cordasfjord FC               28   16   5   7    39   27  +12    53     Champions; IFCF Champions League
 2 Jutland FC                   28   13  10   5    44   28  +16    49     IFCF Challengers Cup
 3 Brenville Blue               28   12   9   7    67   57  +10    45     IFCF Challengers Cup
 4 Jutland Cannons              28   12   9   7    25   17   +8    45
 5 Thor's Rest Storm            28   12   8   8    46   43   +3    44
 6 Valley Fold Vanquishers      28   11   7  10    33   33    0    40
 7 Creston Wolves               28   10   9   9    43   40   +3    39
 8 Vikings FC                   28   10   9   9    35   36   −1    39
 9 Lakeshore Hersir             28    9   9  10    22   27   −5    36
10 Skalton Harpers              28    9   7  12    27   40  −13    34
11 Gilded City Dragons          28    8   9  11    41   45   −4    33
12 Danvirk FC                   28    8   8  12    30   35   −5    32
13 Shelter Cove Captains        28    7   8  13    49   61  −12    29     Relegated
14 White River FC               28    6  10  12    36   38   −2    28     Relegated
15 Eriksson Icecaps             28    6   5  17    32   42  −10    23     Relegated

League B                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Channel Point FC             28   14   8   6    66   55  +11    50     Promoted; IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy
 2 Icecliff Pack FC             28   12  10   6    21   14   +7    46     Promoted; IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy
 3 Meadow Ridge Maples          28   13   6   9    33   25   +8    45     Promoted; IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy
 4 Mountainview FC              28   12   8   8    55   50   +5    44
 5 East Fjord FC                28   10  10   8    53   49   +4    40
 6 Westwall Stand               28   10  10   8    37   37    0    40
 7 Southmont Hawks FC           28   10   9   9    43   38   +5    39
 8 Norport FC                   28   11   6  11    41   41    0    39
 9 Courvale Kings FC            28   10   8  10    35   38   −3    38
10 Thetford FC                  28   10   7  11    33   34   −1    37
11 North Bay FC                 28    9   9  10    44   48   −4    36
12 Red Hill Smithers            28    8  11   9    32   33   −1    35
13 North Courvale FC            28    9   6  13    25   26   −1    33
14 West Vik Valkyries           28    6   9  13    28   35   −7    27
15 South Bay FC                 28    5   5  18    36   59  −23    20

Youth Cordia Football Association     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Mountaineers U19                    28   19   7   2    54   27  +27    64     Champions; IFCF Rising Stars Cup
 2 Fjords Combined U19                 28   16   6   6    54   30  +24    54
 3 Skalton U19                         28   14   7   7    49   33  +16    49
 4 White River Combined U19            28   13   8   7    49   36  +13    47
 5 Lakeside U19                        28   12   6  10    43   31  +12    42
 6 Jutland Combines U19                28   12   6  10    46   39   +7    42
 7 Danvirk U19                         28   10   8  10    37   33   +4    38
 8 North Vik U19                       28   10   8  10    34   39   −5    38
 9 Meadow Ridge Combined U19           28    8  12   8    37   43   −6    36
10 Northwest U19                       28    8  10  10    34   35   −1    34
11 Brenville U19                       28    9   7  12    34   45  −11    34
12 South Bay U19                       28    7   6  15    39   46   −7    27
13 Vik Combined U19                    28    6   6  16    22   45  −23    24
14 Far East Combined U19               28    4  11  13    21   39  −18    23
15 Icewatch U19                        28    6   4  18    30   62  −32    22

Cordia Cup of Football
Round 1
Channel Point FC 1–0 Icecliff Pack FC
Vikings FC 3–4 Thetford FC
Lakeshore Hersir 3–2 Courvale Kings FC
Jutland Cannons 1–1 West Vik Valkyries (1–1 AET) (2–4 pen.)
Shelter Cove Captains 0–0 East Fjord FC (0–0 AET) (7–8 pen.)
Thor's Rest Storm 1–1 North Courvale FC (1–2 AET)
Danvirk FC 2–0 Westwall Stand
Eriksson Icecaps 0–1 Meadow Ridge Maples
Creston Wolves 1–0 North Bay FC
Skalton Harpers 4–3 Norport FC
Brenville Blue 1–0 South Bay FC
White River FC 0–1 Mountainview FC
Valley Fold Vanquishers 0–2 Red Hill Smithers
Gilded City Dragons 1–0 Southmont Hawks FC

Round 2
Cordasfjord FC 2–1 Channel Point FC
Lakeshore Hersir 0–1 Thetford FC
East Fjord FC 1–0 West Vik Valkyries
Danvirk FC 2–4 North Courvale FC
Jutland FC 1–0 Meadow Ridge Maples
Creston Wolves 2–2 Skalton Harpers (2–2 AET) (4–1 pen.)
Brenville Blue 1–1 Mountainview FC (1–2 AET)
Gilded City Dragons 2–1 Red Hill Smithers

Quarterfinals
Cordasfjord FC 3–2 Thetford FC
East Fjord FC 1–0 North Courvale FC
Jutland FC 0–1 Creston Wolves
Gilded City Dragons 0–0 Mountainview FC (1–0 AET)

Semifinals
Cordasfjord FC 1-1 East Fjord FC (1-1 AET) (3-2 pen.)
Creston Wolves 1-0 Gilded City Dragons

3PPO
Gilded City Dragons 4-0 East Fjord HC

Final
Cordasfjord FC 1-1 Creston Wolves (1-1 AET) (4-3 pen.)

Creston receives 3rd IFCF and FFI qualifying spot for best League A place behind top team.
East Fjord received 3rd Liga B qualifying spot for best League B place.
Gilded City receives Vilita spot for most surprising cup run by a League A team.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Sat Sep 25, 2021 11:10 am

Cordian Isles Hockey League  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakeside Warriors          92   40  32  20   205  175  +30   112
 2 Cordasfjord Crusaders      92   43  21  28   162  134  +28   107
 3 Jutland Riveters           92   40  25  27    95   71  +24   105
 4 Jutland Whalers            92   37  29  26   133  119  +14   103
 5 Gilded City Golden         92   38  26  28    89   75  +14   102
 6 Thor's Rest Thunder        92   40  21  31   200  191   +9   101
 7 Creston Northmen           92   36  29  27   209  187  +22   101
 8 Valley Fold Vengeance      92   39  19  34    79   82   −3    97
 9 Red Hill Sappers           92   35  27  30   185  183   +2    97
10 Vikings HC                 92   37  22  33   131  132   −1    96
11 South Bay Berserkers       92   38  19  35   138  137   +1    95
12 East Fjord HC              92   35  25  32   177  163  +14    95
13 North Bay Lightning        92   35  20  37   164  170   −6    90
14 Danvirk Wall               92   29  32  31   111  116   −5    90
15 White River Eagles         92   36  17  39   149  150   −1    89
16 Brenville Raiders          92   35  16  41   208  217   −9    86
17 Norport Tsunami            92   29  27  36   203  203    0    85
18 Courvale Knights           92   30  23  39   101  108   −7    83
19 Icecliff Bears             92   28  26  38   175  184   −9    82
20 Thetford Gulls             92   30  21  41   122  138  −16    81
21 Southmont Sky              92   28  23  41   166  186  −20    79
22 Mountainview Typhoon       92   26  27  39    66   89  −23    79
23 Skalton Blues              92   29  20  43   142  169  −27    78
24 Shelter Cove Pirates       92   26  23  43   177  208  −31    75

Excerpt from The Daily Cordian
"... The CIHL format is to change next season, adding six teams and splitting into three divisions of ten, with Division AAA being the highest and (for now) A being the lowest. A major difference between the CIHL and most leagues throughout the world, however, is its promotion/relegation system. In the first part of the season, teams will play 18 games in what is to be called the “Minor Season”, with the top and bottom teams being promoted or relegated, if applicable. This prevents teams from getting killed for an entire season, or likewise absolutely dominating in a lower division. The rest of the season, the “Major Season”, will comprise a 7-round-robin between teams, meaning 63 games for each team. Following the regular season, the top/bottom two teams in each division will be promoted/relegated. The Cordia Cup will happen during the season and seeding will be decided by Minor Season standings..."

by **The Cordian Isles** » Sat Oct 09, 2021 6:03 pm

Cordia Lacrosse League Season

Cordia Lacrosse League        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Danvirk Barons              38   31   3   4   472  268 +204    65
 2 Valley Fold LC              38   25   3  10   446  301 +145    53
 3 Thor's Rest Cyclones        38   24   4  10   390  356  +34    52
 4 Skalton Stars               38   23   3  12   399  346  +53    49
 5 Eriksson Peak LC            38   23   2  13   465  343 +122    48
 6 Westwall Snipers            38   20   7  11   452  355  +97    47
 7 Lakeshore Lions             38   19   6  13   443  381  +62    44
 8 East Fjord Admirals         38   19   4  15   379  358  +21    42
 9 Shelter Cove LC             38   18   3  17   383  390   −7    39
10 Vik Valor                   38   18   2  18   374  369   +5    38
11 South Bay Thunderbirds      38   15   4  19   396  386  +10    34
12 Gilded City Savages         38   16   2  20   376  404  −28    34
13 Creston Killer Whales       38   14   5  19   406  433  −27    33
14 Norport Panthers            38   15   2  21   379  429  −50    32
15 Jutland Dreadnoughts        38   12   4  22   333  459 −126    28
16 Cordasfjord Lancers         38   13   1  24   365  436  −71    27
17 White River Whiteout        38   12   3  23   318  402  −84    27
18 Brenville Owls              38   13   1  24   357  444  −87    27
19 Thetford Roughriders        38    9   3  26   315  449 −134    21
20 Mountainview LC             38    8   4  26   349  488 −139    20

by **The Cordian Isles** » Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:21 am

CIFA LEAGUE A - PREVIEW

Last Season: 1st
The defending champions can be expected to play well again this year, though they’ll certainly have a target on their back after winning both the season and the Cordia Cup last year, and then being the only team to manage a win in IFCF play (though they had five losses along the way). Their aging squad is leading to speculations that they may be bringing up a lot of young players soon to take over the roles of some of the older ones, especially in the midfield and back. Expect Runstrom to be the top scorer, with her shoot-first mentality and real scoring sense.
Formation: 4-4-2

Manager: Viktor Prebensen (62)
Roster:
S Elias Isaksen (27)
S Minna Rundström (25)
M Nicholas Eriksen (27)
M Alexander Poplawski (31) - Captain
M Bjarte Mäkelä (24)
M Britt Alexanderson (30)
D Isak Olofsdotter (28)
D Atte Eld (32)
D Rosa Þórirsson (29)
D Janna Haraldsen (31)
GK Regine Ljung (26)

Reserves
S Sindre Saarinen (36)
S Kjersti Koppel (29)
M Pilvi Mathisen (23)
M Ásgeir Lång (30)
M Jonas Eriksen (22)
M Ellen Eriksson (20)
D Stig Svendsen (21)
D Torunn Eklund (27)
D Ulla Byqvist (29)
D Sofia Simonsson (22)
GK Borghild Hult (35)

Last Season: 3rd
The most exciting team in the league by far, Brenville averaged 2.4 goals per game last season. They’ll be looking for a better finish this year after finishing out of the FFI last year. Luckily, the CIFA's first international player, Cliff Rouge, is set to deliver as one of the top goaltenders in the league, expecting to temper the inevitable risks of Brenville's attack-first mentality. Voll is this team's top scorer, and it's not even close. He's one of two national team-caliber players on the squad, the other being Cliff Rouge. You might as well call the formation 4-2-3-1 because the other strikers are more like midfielders, but Brenville's staff said to say it's 4-2-4 so that's what we're saying it is. (It's really 4-2-3-1 though)
Formation: 4-2-4

Manager: Erast Utkin (64)
Roster:
S Sebastian Voll (28) - Captain
S Brandi Newport (27)
S Callie Brooke (26)
S Magdalene Simen (24)
M Hilmar Heikkinen (24)
M Bee Karjalainen (28)
D Ulrik Sanderson (31)
D Milani Göransson (23)
D Rhoda Stark (30)
D Jostein Nielsen (30)
GK Cliff Rouge (20) - Qasden

Reserves
S Carina Suggitt (35)
S Baldr Timberlake (36)
S Larisa Johansen (22)
S Paula Dean (24)
M Johanna Virtanen (33)
M Þórfastr Strange (33)
D Kodey Ranta (20)
D Loviisa Næss (30)
D Nia Rantanen (24)
D Daniel Caldwell (20)
GK Warrick Moon (23)

Last Season: 4th
This is a team that had the best defense in the league last year by a large margin. And then, they added Kristin Bergstrin to the squad over the offseason. With her in goal, this team's potential becomes sky-high as they'll be looking for the IFCF spot they just missed out on last season. Expect a lot of help on offense from the midfielders, as Jorie Rounds is still coming into his own as a player. Though he looks to become a force in years to come, his play still needs work and the formation of Cannons, which leaves him alone often to make plays with the ball as he will, does not always help his play.
Formation: 4-5-1

Manager: Kata Alekseev (51)
Roster:
S Jorie Rounds (23)
M Bertil Järvi (28)
M Piper Eady (31)
M Memphis Janson (28)
M Erik Pratt (28) - Captain
M Freyr Mikaelsson (24)
D Ely Harper (30)
D Rozanne Osborne (28)
D Hulda David (31)
D Redvin Chase (26)
GK Kristin Bergstrin (24)

Reserves
S Hlynur Stephenson (29)
M Katla Mustonen (32)
M Evy Wilkie (24)
M Duke Wayne (25)
M Olga Crouch (32)
M Bo Austin (26)
D Taimi Pocock (20)
D Malachi Statham (24)
D Egidijus Best (20)
D Ewart Troelsen (33)
GK Kay Bernsen (25)

Last Season: 2nd
Last season’s second place team, Jutland might not be able to keep up with their rivals the Cannons this season with the addition of Bergstrin. However, as a top-4 team in goals scored and fewest goals conceded, they could certainly manage a good run this time around. Their IFCF loss last time around went deep, and Jutland will definitely be looking for redemption this season, though the question is whether they can manage it in a league that, as a whole, has gotten better around them.
Formation: 4-4-2

Manager: Viktoria Berg (42)
Roster:
S Larissa van Wijk (28)
S Moniek Wassink (26)
M Lucas van Oers (24)
M Frits Vis (32)
M Noortje Nijssen (23)
M Jeanette Bakker (32)
D Anneloes ten Berge (32) - Captain
D Connie Buis (23)
D Frederick Johnson (24)
D Aline Donders (27)
GK Manon van Straten (25)

Reserves
S Robert Groenendijk (24)
S Ramon van Driel (23)
M Pamela Groeneveld (26)
M Jules van Rooij (36)
M Francis den Ouden (26)
M Arend van Bakel (23)
D Carol in 't Veld (34)
D Kay Voortman (32)
D Jorrit de Witte (20)
D Gerjan Hoek (34)
GK Julie van der Spek (32)

Last Season: 7th
The Cordia Cup runner-ups have a new pep in their step after last season. They haven’t changed much, but they know they can compete and that’s all the difference. Other than star goaltender Jordi Jongen, many Creston players are looking at their last year of viably starting for the team, and they'll want to make the most of it. Creston may be a dark horse candidate for a League A championship or another Cordia Cup finals run. Scoring for this team will come primarily from Ine van Dijck, one of the league's most prolific scorers despite being on a team not especially known for its offensive prowess. Verhulst and Moerman, in the last few years of their time playing, aren't as big factors as they used to be, though their minds are still as sharp as when they were 20 and their experience at the highest level still makes them better players than just about any 20-year-old.
Formation: 4-4-2 diamond

Manager: Baard Andreasen (51)
Roster:
S Arthur Verhulst (31)
S Ine van Dijck (27)
AM Gertjan Moerman (30)
M Oscar Bronkhorst (31)
M Frank Schippers (29)
DM Frieda van Rossum (23)
D Eric Johnson (24)
D Marlous Hilhorst (32)
D Martien Zomer (26)
D Denise Derks (30) - Captain
GK Jordi Jongen (23)

Reserves
S Bram Horst (23)
S Wiebe van der Graaf (30)
AM Adriana Bouma (24)
M Henriëtte Schepers (29)
M Corry van den Brand (35)
DM Hugo van Dam (28)
D Adri Pronk (35)
D Ger de Brouwer (20)
D Jacco van Buuren (27)
D Jorien van Dommelen (20)
GK Bertus Oosting (24)

Last Season: 11th
The Dragons added one of the league’s best strikers in Anton Osterholt over the offseason and have the capacity for an IFCF run this season. The team is now built around Osterholt, one of the most skilled and exciting strikers in the league, and a NT player at just 22 years of age. Other than him, Gilded City features a squad largely in its prime, though an old reserve squad means that these seasons are some of their last chances, barring significant roster moves.
Formation: 4-4-2

Manager: Gudmund Lundström (41)
Roster:
S Anton Osterholt (22)
S Leontien van Wijk (25)
M Lydia Vogels (30)
M Jamie van Dalen (30) - Captain
M Marius Bouwman (23)
M Maureen Broere (25)
D Lucia Verkerk (23)
D Mary van der Ham (25)
D Nelleke Kooijman (29)
D Björn Roelofsen (28)
GK Jane Hendriks (26)

Reserves
S Corien van Ginkel (30)
S Justin Kruithof (29)
M Ferry van Maanen (30)
M Debbie Douma (20)
M Elizabeth Langenberg (36)
M Marc de Zeeuw (29)
D Karlijn Roos (35)
D Drew Nieuwenhuizen (26)
D Tina Bax (27)
D Manon Baas (29)
GK Roelof Spijker (32)

Last Season: 5th
The Storm were a win back of an IFCF spot last season. This season, the league has gotten better around them, but they’ve hardly changed, which is not going to aid them. Their midfield is defense-oriented, with the intention of trapping the other team in their own zone, and when it works it screws up offensive plans and allows for quick, efficient counterattacks. When it doesn’t, the three defenders often have a hard time stopping the other team from scoring.
Formation: 3-4-3

Manager: Erling Fredriksson (49)
Roster:
S Jarno Simon (24)
S Alice van der Heijden (25)
S Nanda Broekman (23)
M Veronique van der Bos
M Rasmus Karlssen (23)
M Hannah Andersen (26) - Captain
M Meike Bongers (29)
D Julie Verheul (27)
D Terry Buurman (32)
D Jan van Schie (26)
GK Lisa Weijers (26)

Reserves
S Juan Brouwer (26)
S Edgar van Deursen (29)
S Fatima Zuidema (23)
M Marcella Spoelstra (31)
M Liesbeth Posthumus (36)
M Karen Hoogendoorn (21)
M Tobias Kort (27)
D Jorrit Snijder (28)
D Herbert van Schaik (25)
D Andreas van Dalen (30)
GK Arno Nagtegaal (20)

Last Season: 8th
Vikings seem to like this 8th spot a lot. They’re good enough to be competitive, but nowhere near IFCF potential. With a decidedly young squad, if Vikings stay in the league for a few years they could become a force if their stars aren’t bought off. Their strikers share in the scoring, with no real stars standing out as scoring threats. Vikings are known for their flexible game plan, and often will change formations from their standard 4-4-2 midgame, something for teams to look out for when they play.
Formation: 4-4-2

Manager: Anastas Olofsson (46)
Roster:
S Lenneke van den Berg (32)
S Wesley Wever (29)
M Stef Wester (31)
M Henry Smits (27) - Captain
M Wiebe Haas (23)
M Angela Bouw (23)
D Rico Wolff (27)
D Jennifer de Ridder (23)
D Mariëtte Klomp (28)
D Dennis van Diepen (31)
GK Daniel Robben (23)

Reserves
S Ann Kingma (23)
S Eddie Bekker (31)
M Armand van der Vliet (20)
M Jamie van Soest (36)
M Helene Buis (35)
M Mustafa Engel (33)
D Arnold Hoekman (28)
D Lieke Scheffer (22)
D Emile Leenders (22)
D Mandy Donkers (31)
GK Boris Klaassen (35)

Last Season: 3rd (B)
Bad injury luck last year cost the Maples first in the B league, but they’ve called out Jutland FC as a team they intend to get revenge on after the Cordia Cup, and they might be good enough to stay in the league or even compete. If they stay healthy, that is. With a solid senior team and a variety of ages, they could become a force to be reckoned with in the near future. This season, expect scoring to come from skilled striker Ard Donders, best known for his ability to keep the ball under pressure until support from the midfield arrives. When defenders are focused on him, things can quickly get dangerous if they don't stay aware of Mathilde Lemmens.
Formation: 4-4-1-1

Manager: Tomas Isaksen (41)
Roster:
S Ard Donders (28)
AM Mathilde Lemmens (30)
M Marita Wouters (25)
M Ada Baan (27)
M Adriana Kort (24)
M Liselotte Koelewijn (29)
D Lianne Smid (30) - Captain
D Gerjan Aerts (23)
D Sascha Boer (32)
D Steven Slotboom (29)
GK Marie van Lier (24)

Reserves
S Ko de Brouwer (23)
AM Lenie Goossens (22)
M Van Kleijn (20)
M Joost van der Ham (34)
M Eelco Derks (28)
M Maartje van der Mark (20)
D Sjef van Drunen (23)
D Merel van Pelt (21)
D Moniek Snijders (21)
D Cornelis Hoek (25)
GK Antoinette de Kort (23)

Last Season: 6th
Vengeance managed 6th with a balanced GD last year. They’re an iffy team, though, and Valley Fold teams always seem to have the biggest letdowns. Plus, there are a lot of teams that have snapped up good players this year, a group which the Valley is not part of. With no new blood, Valley Fold is set to decline this season, maybe even to the verge of relegation.
Formation: 5-3-2

Manager: Leif Poulsen (58)
Roster:
S Isabel Adams (28)
S Noor Williams (29)
M Marielle Kerkhof (31)
M Nicolette Loo (25)
M John van Strien (27)
D Baukje van Zon (26)
D Ella Faber (32) - Captain
D Eefje Muller (27)
D Wim Wit (30)
D Jean Admiraal (26)
GK Jeannet Walraven (26)

Reserves
S Kelly Roovers (24)
S Veerle Timmerman (20)
M Andrea Nijland (28)
M Dianne Coolen (33)
M Rob van der Jagt (20)
D Soraya van Hout (30)
D Gea van Gent (25)
D Leonard Winkel (21)
D Jet Hummel (25)
D Irina van Gool (33)
GK Josine Kinger (24)

Last Season: 10th
Somehow avoiding relegation last season with an offense that was bettered by every single relegated team, we think Skalton does it again, but only just. It's a matter of time, though, with Skalton's aging squad not giving younger players the opportunity for playing time, and within the next few seasons you'll likely see Harpers in the B league, at least until they rebuild.
Formation: 4-3-2-1

Manager: Klaus Hansen (54)
Roster:
S Cecile van der Zwan (29) - Captain
AM Machteld Verheij (32)
AM Perry Oosterhuis (26)
M Annemie Scheepers (23)
M Svein McVeld (28)
M Erik Hilhorst (31)
D Karel Dokter (30)
D Marc Dam (31)
D Sigrid Altena (26)
D Amber Hopman (30)
GK Grietje Berends (28)

Reserves
S Marieke Spaan (24)
AM Huub Kraan (25)
AM Ing Wieringa (36)
M Saskia van Lieshout (26)
M Francisca Engel (24)
M Mehmet van Dijke (20)
D Malou Jong (26)
D Sarah Schipper (21)
D Jeanne Faber (32)
D Maurice Ras (25)
GK Jorrit Winter (34)

Last Season: 12th
Danvirk is beginning to bring the financial advantages that come with a world-class stadium to bear, but it’ll be another season before we start seeing the effect. With no new stars, there is a serious risk to Danvirk of finding themselves in the B league and having a hard time getting back up. However, if Danvirk can stay in the A league, they'll become a massive threat within five years, at the most.
Formation: 4-4-2

Manager: Marianne Vinter (42)
Roster:
S Gemma van der Wetering (26)
S Willemijn Kuipers (23)
M Annemie van Driel (23)
M Sjors van Bakel (28)
M Else Taal (30)
M Ferdinand Mulder (24)
D Leen Schaap (26)
D Marta van Rijswijk (27)
D Carolina Bijl (24)
D Vladimir Demov (28) - Captain
GK Nicolien van der Bosch (30)

Reserves
S Evert Wester (33)
S Truus van Andel (34)
M Machteld Veenendaal (29)
M Mara Janssens (28)
M Elisabeth van Bruggen (30)
M Adrie Lamers (26)
D Lex van den Berge (25)
D Nora van der Beek (34)
D Jonathan Timmermans (23)
D Frits den Ouden (23)
GK Ana van der Meulen (28)

Last Season: 1st (B)
Exciting to watch, like Brenville, but Channel Point makes too many mistakes for this level of play; they need much better players. Channel Point relies on goals. Loads and loads of them. However, their strikers just aren't good enough to get them against the defenses they'll be facing, and Channel Point's aggressive strategy could become a moot point going up against the gameplans of A league teams.
Formation: 3-3-4

Manager: Ardalion Skov (50)
Roster:
S Marianne Willems (31)
S Randy Verschuren (25)
S Mathijs van der Weide (27)
S Nicolette Laan (30)
M Anke Boot (28)
M Corné Roovers (24)
M Ton Meijerink (23)
D Joop Haan (29)
D Esther Wesselink (26)
D Mieke Kusters (25)
GK Eline van Mierlo (28)

Reserves
S Rudi Pieters (24)
S Jens Witteveen (32)
S Anita van der Velden (31)
S Stan Konings (36)
M Carolien Rook (34)
M Roeland Weber (22)
M Noor van Oosterhout (24)
D Diederik Smid (28)
D Wilfred Nijman (35)
D Esmeralda de Geus (36)
GK Joey Slotboom (31)

Last Season: 2nd (B)
With the worst offense and best defense in B play last year, and given the fact that they need to have scored a goal in each of their wins, that’s a lot of 0-0 draws. A-league teams will be able to get those goals that B teams couldn't, so Icecliff will go back down. Lucia Somers will be their primary scorer this season as the lone striker in a very defensively-minded 4-5-1, and most think she will struggle to rise to the challenge. She is just 23 after all, and to be simply left hanging by one's team is never an easy situation to produce in, even harder without experience.
Formation: 4-5-1

Manager: Monika Strand (57)
Roster:
S Lucia Somers (23)
M Willemijn Rietveld (25)
M Joep Maas (31)
M Christel Schellekens (27)
M Wieke Bruin (24)
M Baukje Groenewegen (30)
D Annet Derks (27)
D Sacha Koopman (24)
D Janny Verkerk (27)
D Dagmar van Oorschot (23)
GK Cindy Joosten (27)

Reserves
S Corne van Soest (25)
M Mariska van den Akker (20)
M Marga Stoop (34)
M Evelien Wever (35)
M David van der Meer (25)
M Sven van Bakel (21)
D Marita van den Dungen (21)
D Ana de Winter (33)
D Giel van der Vegt (29)
D Jesper de Korte (33)
GK Desiree Klaver (25)

Last Season: 9th
Kristin Bergstrin was the glue holding this team together after Redvin Chase left for Jutland Cannons. She’s gone to join him this season, and without her, Lakeshore will fall completely apart. Combined with an aging team, Lakeshore looks primed to fall in the next few seasons, too. The lone bright spot on the team is Dineke Leeuwen, a creative striker with a knack for finding the back of the net. She's definitely a player to watch this season.
Formation: 3-5-2

Manager: Kaspar Wuopio (57)
Roster:
S Pascalle Bartels (30)
S Dineke Leeuwen (25)
M Greetje de Bont (26)
M Joeri Koers (31)
M Pauline Benjamins (24)
M Larissa Horst (26)
M Roeland Heemskerk (24)
D Sophia Kuipers (31)
D Emmy Graaf (26)
D Randy Coppens (31)
GK Emiel Meijer (29)

Reserves
S Ruben Rovers (26)
S Alie Wind (28)
M Helen de Roos (33)
M Jitske Borst (35)
M Shirley de Ruiter (29)
M Marian Wanders (25)
M Jarno de Nijs (32)
D Corry Somers (26)
D Tina Wevers (35)
D Wessel Romijn (25)
GK Liesbeth Vermeer (29)

Rivalries

Jutland Derby: Jutland FC - Jutland Cannons
A classic same-city rivalry, made even bigger by the fact that these teams are consistently top 4 in League A. Jutland FC finished ahead of Cannons last season, but with the latter's addition of Kristin Bergstrin it's anyone's season.

Battle of the Vik: Vikings FC - Gilded City Dragons
Another location-based rivalry, this one pits the teams of two Vik islands against each other. It also includes West Vik and Shelter Cove when they’re in the same league. Gilded City were the worse team in league play last season, but took third place in the Cordia Cup while Vikings bowed out in the first round to B side Thetford.

South Riding Derby: Brenville Blue - Meadow Ridge Maples
Also includes Thetford and Mountainview when they are in the same league. Brenville usually dominates this rivalry, but there have been upsets over the years and a surprise could be in store. We've never really seen Meadow Ridge's full potential because of injuries to Ard Donders and Ada Baan that kept them out for most of last season, but the fact that Meadow Ridge managed to get promoted despite that is a bit scary.

Northeast Series: Thor’s Rest Storm - Icecliff Pack FC
This rivalry pits two teams together that, other than being in the north, are altogether pretty different, Thor’s Rest usually being the bigger team due to its location in a major city, and this season is no exception as Thor's Rest is expected to stomp on the Pack, but anything could happen and overconfidence could be Thor's Rest's downfall. This rivalry also includes North Bay when they are in the same league.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Tue Oct 19, 2021 3:06 pm

CIFA LEAGUE A - PART 1

Channel Point FC 1–3 Vikings FC
Cordasfjord FC 5–2 Valley Fold Vanquishers
Creston Wolves 1–1 Thor's Rest Storm
Danvirk FC 3–3 Skalton Harpers
Gilded City Dragons 1–0 Meadow Ridge Maples
Icecliff Pack FC 0–4 Lakeshore Hersir
Jutland Cannons 3–0 Jutland FC

Lakeshore opens with a surprising 4-0 win over Pack, perhaps showing that their defense is not all gone even after Kristin Bergstrin left the team for Cannons. Strikers Pascalle Bartels and Dineke Leeuwen had two goals a piece, with some impressive attacking play from the midfield group generating a lot of chances.

Cannons scored a 3-0 win over rival Jutland FC. In Kristin Bergstrin’s first test, she saved every shot on goal en route to a clean sheet. Jorie Rounds, who is quickly developing into one of the better strikers in League A, netted two first-half goals with captain Erik Pratt taking the third.

Cordasfjord FC showed off a murderous offense in a 5-2 win over Valley Fold, but anytime you let in two goals against a bottom-table team is not a game to celebrate. Elias Isaksen had two goals, with Rundstrom, Nick Eriksen, and Poplawski finishing one apiece.

Elsewhere, Vikings took a solid win over Channel Point, Creston drew with Thor’s Rest, and Gilded City beat promoted B side Meadow Ridge.

Lakeshore Hersir 1–0 Jutland Cannons
Meadow Ridge Maples 5–2 Icecliff Pack FC
Skalton Harpers 0–3 Gilded City Dragons
Thor's Rest Storm 0–1 Danvirk FC
Valley Fold Vanquishers 4–4 Creston Wolves
Vikings FC 0–2 Cordasfjord FC
Brenville Blue 2–0 Channel Point FC

Lakeshore continues an early-season resurgence, beating a Cannons team that includes former Hersir Redvin Chase and Kristin Bergstrin. Dineke Leeuwen netted her second goal of the season with five minutes to go in the second half.

Creston took a second draw, tying 4-4 with Valley Fold in a ridiculously high-scoring match. Van Dijck took two goals for Creston, within ten minutes of each other midway through the first half as Creston took a 3-0 lead. Solid play from Valley Fold and Creston mistakes resulted in a 1-4 second-half deficit.

Cliff Rouge, the 20-year-old keeper from Qasden who is the CIFA’s first international signing, played well in Brenville’s opener against Channel Point. Granted, it’s Channel Point, but still a solid start for such a young keeper.

Elsewhere Meadow Ridge took a 5-2 win over a struggling Pack team that’s been outscored 9-2 in its first two games, Gilded City took its second win of the season with a 3-0 shutout over Harpers.

Cordasfjord FC 1–0 Brenville Blue
Creston Wolves 3–3 Vikings FC
Danvirk FC 0–1 Valley Fold Vanquishers
Gilded City Dragons 1–1 Thor's Rest Storm
Icecliff Pack FC 3–3 Skalton Harpers
Jutland Cannons 0–0 Meadow Ridge Maples
Jutland FC 7–2 Lakeshore Hersir

Cordasfjord beats Brenville in a clash of Big 4 sides, with the only goal coming five minutes into the second half after a scramble following a corner which the Brenville defense had a rough time clearing. Cliff Rouge played another solid game, and is looking like the tender Brenville needs him to be.

Creston took its third draw in a row, in another high-scoring game. This time, they came from behind after two early Vikings goals put them down 2-0. Ine van Dijck scored in stoppage time to lessen the deficit to one going into halftime. However, a thundering shot from Wiebe Haas brought the lead back up to 3-1 in the 50th minute. In the 62nd, Creston’s Moerman, in a pure effort play, hunted down Dennis van Diepen of Vikings, cutting off his options and stealing the ball. With all eyes on her, she slid the ball over to Arthur Verhulst for an easy back-door goal. Verhulst had a second goal in the 70th, the equalizer, a corner that went over the heads of both teams en route to the back post.

Jutland FC fairly murdered Lakeshore in a fantastic display of the offensive nuclear option. Larissa van Wijk and Moniek Wassink had three goals apiece, with Lucas van Oers having a breakout game with four assists and a goal. However, all was not well with the Jutland defense. Even in a blowout, allowing two goals against a bottom-table team is not something to admire.

In other news, Cannons took a scoreless draw with promoted B side Meadow Ridge, Danvirk dropped their game to Valley Fold, and Gilded City drew Thor's Rest 1-1 in an early game of IFCF hopefuls.

Meadow Ridge Maples 1–2 Jutland FC
Skalton Harpers 3–2 Jutland Cannons
Thor's Rest Storm 2–2 Icecliff Pack FC
Valley Fold Vanquishers 2–2 Gilded City Dragons
Vikings FC 1–0 Danvirk FC
Brenville Blue 2–4 Creston Wolves
Channel Point FC 0–1 Cordasfjord FC

Harpers upset Cannons in a game that was competitive for the full 90. With two goals from Jorie Rounds, in the 12th and 28th minutes, and a 2-0 lead going into halftime, perhaps Cannons got complacent with their lead. Or maybe Klaus Hansen’s hype speeches just really hit the mark. Whatever the cause, Harpers came roaring back in the second half with goals in the 47th (van der Zwan), 53rd (Oosterhuis), and 60th (Verheij) minutes to take the lead. Cannons never really got going, with disjointed attacks that essentially gifted Harpers the chances they needed to pull off both the upset and the comeback.

Cliff Rouge’s third game was not as good as the first two as a formerly winless Creston side scored three goals in the first half before he was taken out in favor of Warrick Moon. Brenville had a better second half, outscoring Creston 2-1, but it wasn’t enough to recover from a three-goal deficit. Word is that Moon will start against Danvirk to give Rouge’s mental game a bit of time to recover.

Nothing else particularly interesting happened this matchday. Cordasfjord FC beat a struggling Channel Point, Vikings beat Danvirk one-zip, and Icecliff managed a surprising draw against Thor’s Rest. Valley Fold drew with Gilded City, and Jutland FC took a somewhat easy win over Meadow Ridge.

Creston Wolves 3–1 Channel Point FC
Danvirk FC 3–2 Brenville Blue
Gilded City Dragons 0–3 Vikings FC
Icecliff Pack FC 1–1 Valley Fold Vanquishers
Jutland Cannons 2–2 Thor's Rest Storm
Jutland FC 1–2 Skalton Harpers
Lakeshore Hersir 3–6 Meadow Ridge Maples

Jutland FC somehow managed to lose to Skalton Harpers 2-1 in a depressing night for those expecting them to compete for a Champions League berth again this season. An early goal from Moniek Wassink put Jutland up just three minutes in, but with a goal from Svein McVeld eight minutes later, the score was tied again at 1 all. McVeld had a chance at an open net in stoppage time but sent a hard pass from Erik Hilhorst wide. In the seventy-seventh minute, Cecile van der Zwan deflected a solid corner from Hilhorst into the netting, and Skalton finished the win with some solid defense despite strong pressure from the losing side.

Starting Moon was a terrible mistake for Brenville, who took their third straight loss as he allowed three goals in the first 30 minutes of the game. Sebastian Voll managed a late goal in the first half to lessen the deficit, but the damage had already been done. Voll scored a nifty second goal in the 73rd minute, shooting from the right side of the box and bending the ball in such a way that it ran along the goal line before hitting the far post and going in. Practically unsavable, and a truly impressive shot. However, Voll had no more magic to spare as a late Brenville attack fell short of tying the game up.

Elsewhere, Creston took a basic 3-1 win over Channel Point, who are becoming the official punching bag of League A. Vikings erupted on Gilded City, who came unready to play and struggled on both sides of the ball. Icecliff drew with Valley Fold, Cannons took a 2-2 draw with Thor’s Rest, only managing that with a clutch late goal from Piper Eady. Finally, Meadow Ridge scored a ridiculous six goals on Lakeshore, who are also in the running for League A’s top punching bag after a 7-2 loss to Jutland FC earlier this season.

Skalton Harpers 4–2 Lakeshore Hersir
Thor's Rest Storm 2–0 Jutland FC
Valley Fold Vanquishers 1–3 Jutland Cannons
Vikings FC 3–4 Icecliff Pack FC
Brenville Blue 1–0 Gilded City Dragons
Channel Point FC 0–1 Danvirk FC
Cordasfjord FC 0–3 Creston Wolves

The biggest game of the day was a battle of the unbeatens, as Creston took on Cordasfjord at the Colosseum. Cordasfjord’s offense visibly struggled, and Jordi Jongen easily cleared away every shot taken. Meanwhile, Creston’s offense went mad, with Arthur Verhulst netting a goal and Oscar Bronkhorst and Frank Schippers both chipping in with their first goals of the season. It’s never too early for roster change talk, and it certainly looks like Cordasfjord’s aging back 4 are not staying together after this season.

Jutland FC is seemingly entering a skid, having lost to Skalton last game and now Thor’s Rest, neither particularly good teams and certainly ones that the defending runner-up should have no problems whatsoever dispatching. However, Jutland’s offense, like Cordasfjord’s, struggled against the 3-4-3 of Thor’s Rest, kept well away from the net by a strong stand from midfielders Rasmus Karlssen and Hannah Andersen. On the offensive side of things, it was a good day for Nanda Broekman of the Storm, as she had two goals to hand her team the win.

Cannons beat Valley Fold 3-1, Icecliff won a nailbiter 4-3 match over Pack, and Brenville shut out Gilded City. Danvirk took an intense 1-0 victory over Channel Point, staving off multiple CP chances in a bit of a scare for the perennial League A side.

Danvirk FC 3–4 Cordasfjord FC
Gilded City Dragons 3–0 Channel Point FC
Icecliff Pack FC 1–4 Brenville Blue
Jutland Cannons 3–3 Vikings FC
Jutland FC 1–2 Valley Fold Vanquishers
Lakeshore Hersir 0–0 Thor's Rest Storm
Meadow Ridge Maples 1–0 Skalton Harpers

In a back-and-forth game in front of 85,000 screaming fans at the Castle in Danvirk, Cordasfjord FC came out on top with three goals in the first half to go into halftime up 3-1. Atte Eld, Alexander Poplawski, and Nicholas Eriksen scored one apiece for Cordasfjord, while stellar play from Regine Ljung limited the Danvirk tally to one from Willemijn Kuipers. A goal six minutes into the second half from Minna Rundstrom sealed the deal, and despite a resurgence from Danvirk in the last ten minutes that had fans on the edge of their seats, Cordasfjord came out with the win.

It was not the most exciting day of football elsewhere. Gilded City crushed Channel Point for a free win, Brenville is back to winning games with Rouge starting, as they took a 4-1 victory over Icecliff. Cannons drew a game they should have won, 3 all with Vikings, while Valley Fold managed to upset a Jutland FC squad that has looked timid all through the first quarter of the season. Lakeshore finally caught a break and a point after three losses one right after the other, against Thor’s Rest. Meadow Ridge finished off a pretty solid first quarter with a win over 5th-placed Skalton.

CIFA League A                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cordasfjord FC                6    5   0   1    13    8   +5    15
 2 Creston Wolves                6    3   3   0    18   11   +7    12
 3 Vikings FC                    7    3   2   2    16   13   +3    11
 4 Gilded City Dragons           7    3   2   2    10    7   +3    11
 5 Skalton Harpers               7    3   2   2    15   15    0    11
 6 Meadow Ridge Maples           6    3   1   2    13    8   +5    10
 7 Danvirk FC                    7    3   1   3    11   11    0    10
 8 Jutland Cannons               7    2   3   2    13   10   +3     9
 9 Brenville Blue                6    3   0   3    11    9   +2     9
10 Valley Fold Vanquishers       7    2   3   2    13   16   −3     9
11 Thor's Rest Storm             7    1   5   1     8    7   +1     8
12 Lakeshore Hersir              6    2   1   3    12   17   −5     7
13 Jutland FC                    6    2   0   4    11   12   −1     6
14 Icecliff Pack FC              7    1   3   3    13   22   −9     6
15 Channel Point FC              6    0   0   6     2   13  −11     0

The first quarter of the league brought eyebrow-raising moments, and often downright comedy. The only remaining undefeated team, Creston (a surprise itself), is behind a team it defeated 3-0, Cordasfjord. Vikings are in the top 4 for once, though that won’t last. Skalton is up from its usual bottom-table position, in fifth. Former B side Meadow Ridge is in 6th, a result that some predicted but few genuinely expected. Jutland FC, Brenville, and Cannons are all in the bottom half of the table, and FC is even in the bottom three, a massive surprise after a second-place finish last season. The most comedic part of the season so far is Channel Point’s success in… doing anything but winning. Or just generally getting points. They have lost each one of their six games en route to a last-place position, six points behind fourteenth.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Fri Oct 22, 2021 2:07 pm

CIFA LEAGUE A - PART 2

Thor's Rest Storm 0–3 Meadow Ridge Maples
Valley Fold Vengeance 1–2 Lakeshore Hersir
Vikings FC 1–2 Jutland FC
Brenville Blue 1–2 Jutland Cannons
Channel Point FC 2–4 Icecliff Pack FC
Cordasfjord FC 1–1 Gilded City Dragons
Creston Wolves 2–1 Danvirk FC

The biggest game of the day was a battle of Big 4 teams. An early goal from Brenville made it look like they had the game in their hands, but it wasn’t to be as Cannons scored twice in the second half with Bergstrin playing impeccably to take the win. In the ongoing battle for first, the race just got a lot closer. Cordasfjord drew with Gilded City despite a lot of late momentum and offensive struggles from Gilded. In Creston, the Wolves extended their lossless streak with two early goals for a victory and three points against Danvirk, reducing Cordasfjord’s lead down to one point.

Jutland FC managed a victory over Vikings with a second-half goal to break a 1-1 stalemate. Jutland Fans are hoping this means a resurgence for the Big 4 side, an unexpected relegation-zone team after the first quarter of the season. Meadow Ridge is shaping up to be a side of significance this season, especially after a 3-0 drubbing of Storm, in Thor’s Rest no less. Storm fans are not happy with the season so far, especially compared to last season’s top 5 finish.

Finally, in a pretty garbage game between promoted sides, Channel Point continued its losing streak, now an incredible seven games, despite taking a 2-1 lead into halftime. Icecliff erupted for three second-half goals, and that was all the difference.

Gilded City Dragons 0–0 Creston Wolves
Icecliff Pack FC 2–0 Cordasfjord FC
Jutland Cannons 0–0 Channel Point FC
Jutland FC 0–2 Brenville Blue
Lakeshore Hersir 3–2 Vikings FC
Meadow Ridge Maples 3–2 Valley Fold Vengeance
Skalton Harpers 1–1 Thor's Rest Storm

In one of the bigger upsets so far this season, Cordasfjord had a very off day with miscommunications on offense and a disjointed defense, and Icecliff cleaned up the mess for an unexpected 2-0 victory with major implications in the race for first. Creston continues to equal its wins with draws, going scoreless all the way with Gilded City despite golden chances for both sides. In a Big 4 matchup between Brenville and Jutland FC, Cliff Rouge held FC to no goals while Brenville’s offensive finesse netted it a pair for the win, a welcome improvement after last matchday’s loss to Cannons.

Speaking of Cannons, the Big 4 team allowed Channel Point its first League A point in a scoreless draw. Fans left disappointed, especially following a never-quit win over Brenville on the last matchday, while Channel Point fans… pretty much just stayed depressed as Channel Point still does not have a win this season. Meadow Ridge is developing into a force, with a 3-2 win over Valley Fold only adding to their points total.

Skalton drew with Thor’s Rest following their bye, which has allowed other teams to catch up with them and knock them off their top 5 high horse. Lakeshore is still entertaining hope of not being relegated this season, and those hopes were boosted with a 3-2 win over Valley Fold, another relegation candidate.

Valley Fold Vengeance 3–3 Skalton Harpers
Vikings FC 0–0 Meadow Ridge Maples
Brenville Blue 3–2 Lakeshore Hersir
Channel Point FC 2–2 Jutland FC
Cordasfjord FC 0–4 Jutland Cannons
Creston Wolves 4–2 Icecliff Pack FC
Danvirk FC 0–1 Gilded City Dragons

Cordasfjord’s offensive woes continued. Fans showed up at the Cordasfjord Colusseum expecting a competitive game between the class of the A League. The contest was much-hyped by the Cordian media and viewership was high… at least, at the start. A large portion of viewers turned off their TV after Cannons scored their third goal, twenty-seven minutes into the match, and the outcome from there was no surprise. Cordasfjord has not scored a goal in its last two games, and while they can still salvage the race for first, their momentum over the past two games has been something like the visual representation of jumping off of a cliff.

Meadow Ridge has not taken a loss in the second quarter, in fact taking its first draw against Vikings. Next matchday, the Maples face Brenville, one of the better teams in the A League, and if they can continue their lossless streak there there is no telling when it could end. This time, in a surprisingly competitive game, Brenville managed a 3-2 win over a Lakeshore team emboldened by two straight wins. Channel Point got its second point, again versus a Big 4 team, but leaving without a win did not leave a good taste in their mouths.

Gilded City scored in stoppage time of the first half and played solid defense until the end for a 1-0 win. Creston scored four goals against Icecliff and won, but the flip side of that coin is that Icecliff scored twice, never a good thing especially against a bottom-table team.

Icecliff Pack FC 0–1 Danvirk FC
Jutland Cannons 1–2 Creston Wolves
Jutland FC 3–0 Cordasfjord FC
Lakeshore Hersir 0–0 Channel Point FC
Meadow Ridge Maples 1–0 Brenville Blue
Skalton Harpers 3–4 Vikings FC
Thor's Rest Storm 0–1 Valley Fold Vengeance

Cordasfjord dropped its third straight game and has not scored in any of those matches as their offense has been completely disjointed over this stretch. Despite a Jutland goal early, the game was competitive until the last fifteen minutes, in which Jutland scored two goals to put the game beyond Cordasfjord’s reach. Meadow Ridge’s incredible stretch continued as their defense shut down Sebastian Voll while their offense scored midway through the second half to get the win. Creston Wolves took the lead in the 12th minute, added to it in the 64th, and held Cannons to one goal in the last ten to take the win and continue their no-loss streak.

Vikings beat Skalton in an exciting, high-scoring match that saw four goals in the 50th-55th minutes alone. Defense for either side was lacking and while the game was fun to watch, it raised more questions about these two teams than it gave answers. In a game between relegation candidates, Channel Point managed its third point and third straight draw, but remains without a win. Danvirk beat Icecliff in a rather typical 1-0 game.

Vikings FC 1–0 Thor's Rest Storm
Brenville Blue 1–0 Skalton Harpers
Channel Point FC 1–7 Meadow Ridge Maples
Cordasfjord FC 3–1 Lakeshore Hersir
Creston Wolves 1–0 Jutland FC
Danvirk FC 1–3 Jutland Cannons
Gilded City Dragons 1–0 Icecliff Pack FC

Meadow Ridge showed why they’re the ones to watch this season. With a 4-1 lead going into the second half and two goals in the first fifteen minutes, the result was never in doubt. This win is the continuation of Meadow Ridge’s impressive streak despite playing some of the league’s tougher teams. Cordasfjord FC finally broke its skid with a 3-1 victory over… Lakeshore. It’s not good, but it is something and Cordasfjord needed those three points.

Creston beat Jutland FC 1-0 despite the overwhelming media sentiment that their streak can’t last forever. Most agree that Jutland was the last team with real potential to end it before the end of the season’s first half, with Creston facing Lakeshore and then Maple Ridge in their next two. Maple Ridge has been hot, though, and anything could happen in that match. Cannons won 3-1 over Danvirk after a Danvirk own goal early on put Cannons up and gave them unstoppable momentum. Brenville shut out Skalton to take a 1-0 win, and Gilded City did the same to Icecliff. Vikings took a win after a controversial offsides call denied a Thor’s Rest goal with seconds to go in the final half.

Jutland Cannons 0–0 Gilded City Dragons
Jutland FC 2–1 Danvirk FC
Lakeshore Hersir 0–1 Creston Wolves
Meadow Ridge Maples 1–0 Cordasfjord FC
Skalton Harpers 2–1 Channel Point FC
Thor's Rest Storm 0–2 Brenville Blue
Valley Fold Vengeance 3–4 Vikings FC

Meadow Ridge is on fire. The team carried their momentum into Cordasfjord, not exactly the kind of thing you want to face as you’re trying to get back up from a losing streak. Cordasfjord FC’s offensive problems rebounded against a solid Ridge defense and their attacks were visibly disjointed. Cordasfjord’s defense was better than it has been but still wasn’t enough to pull out a draw.

Jutland Cannons drew scoreless with Gilded City in a garbage game that saw both sides’ offenses play miserable football, missing passes and shots and going offside god-so-many-freaking-times. The defenses did play well, though how much of that was actually thanks to them is up for debate. Vikings, who seem to enjoy high-scoring games, played another one in a 4-3 win at Valley Fold. Vikings led through most of the game, but goals from Valley Fold in the 63rd and 79th minutes made the game far closer than it had been.

Jutland FC beat Danvirk at home, Danvirk’s second straight loss, both to Jutland teams. Creston beat Lakeshore to continue their rampage over the A League, as they have not lost yet. Skalton, who have fallen very far from fifth at the end of the first quarter, took a 2-1 win over still-winless Channel Point.

Brenville Blue 2–1 Valley Fold Vengeance
Channel Point FC 0–0 Thor's Rest Storm
Cordasfjord FC 2–2 Skalton Harpers
Creston Wolves 6–2 Meadow Ridge Maples
Danvirk FC 1–0 Lakeshore Hersir
Gilded City Dragons 1–1 Jutland FC
Icecliff Pack FC 2–1 Jutland Cannons

Creston ended Meadow Ridge’s bid for first, and they ended it decisively. With the score tied at the conclusion of the first half, Creston began playing like an undefeated team, scoring four goals in the second half against a Meadow Ridge squad that appeared helpless in comparison to their recent matches and even the first half of that match. Icecliff surprised with a 2-1 win over Jutland and did it in perhaps the most dramatic way possible. With ten seconds to go in stoppage time of the second half, Jutland eased up despite Icecliff having possession, perhaps just pissed at drawing with such a team. Icecliff punished them for that mistake, a long snipe ending up the difference in a 2-1 win for the 11th-placed team in the League.

Channel Point managed a fourth draw but infuriatingly walked away yet again without a win. They’re almost certainly the last-placed team you’ll see on the final standings, especially at the no-win rate they’re going. Cordasfjord drew a game they should have won against Skalton 2-2, emphasizing the skid for the team that had been first place after six games. With an early second-half goal for the lead, Brenville held on to beat out Valley Fold 2-1. Danvirk scored early and took a 1-0 win over Lakeshore despite a strong press from the latter. Gilded City drew with Jutland, both goals being scored within two minutes of each other in the 27th and 29th minutes.

CIFA League A                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Creston Wolves               13    9   4   0    34   17  +17    31
 2 Meadow Ridge Maples          13    8   2   3    30   17  +13    26
 3 Brenville Blue               13    8   0   5    22   15   +7    24
 4 Gilded City Dragons          13    5   6   2    14    9   +5    21
 5 Vikings FC                   13    6   3   4    28   24   +4    21
 6 Jutland Cannons              14    5   5   4    24   16   +8    20
 7 Cordasfjord FC               13    6   2   5    19   22   −3    20
 8 Jutland FC                   13    5   2   6    21   20   +1    17
 9 Skalton Harpers              13    4   5   4    26   27   −1    17
10 Danvirk FC                   13    5   1   7    16   19   −3    16
11 Icecliff Pack FC             13    4   3   6    23   31   −8    15
12 Lakeshore Hersir             13    4   2   7    20   28   −8    14
13 Valley Fold Vanquishers      13    3   4   6    24   30   −6    13
14 Thor's Rest Storm            13    1   7   5     9   15   −6    10
15 Channel Point FC             13    0   4   9     8   28  −20     4

The biggest surprise of the second quarter was the fall of Cordasfjord from first to seventh, going 1-2-5 in the last seven games. Meadow Ridge’s ascent from sixth to second was nearly as surprising given that last season they were in the B League. With a win against Creston, Meadow Ridge would have taken first place in the A league, but alas, it was not to be. Vikings are hanging around in the top 5 longer than anyone expected, and they could even stay there if they play the last half of the season as they have the first. Jutland FC have stayed almost exactly where they were, and they need to play far better to have even a hope of equaling their performance from last season. Skalton dropped from fifth to ninth, disappointing their fans after a hope-filled start to the season. Channel Point is still winless after thirteen games, at this point almost guaranteed to face relegation this season barring an incredible, and unlikely, comeback. Brenville are up at 3rd from 9th, having fully bounced back from their early-season whatever-the-heck-you-call-that-shit.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:41 pm

Midseason Update - Lower Leagues

For B through D leagues, the top and bottom 3 teams are promoted and relegated, respectively. The top 3 League B teams go to the Liga B Champions Trophy. In the E Leagues, the first place teams are promoted and the second place teams play a two-match playoff to decide which is promoted to League D.

CIFA League B                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Eriksson Icecaps           14   10   1   3    26    9  +17    31
 2 Shelter Cove Captains      14    8   4   2    26   10  +16    28
 3 White River FC             14    8   2   4    25   17   +8    26
 4 Westwall Stand             14    8   2   4    17   12   +5    26
 5 Mountainview FC            14    6   6   2    17   10   +7    24
 6 Southmont Hawks FC         14    6   6   2    18   14   +4    24
 7 Norport FC                 14    6   3   5    18   18    0    21
 8 Thetford FC                14    5   4   5    18   21   −3    19
 9 Red Hill Smithers          14    3   6   5    20   20    0    15
10 East Fjord FC              14    4   3   7    14   16   −2    15
11 Courvale Kings FC          14    4   3   7    13   15   −2    15
12 North Courvale FC          14    4   3   7    12   21   −9    15
13 West Vik Valkyries         14    3   2   9    12   26  −14    11
14 North Bay FC               14    2   4   8    10   21  −11    10
15 South Bay FC               14    1   5   8    12   28  −16     8

League C                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Castle Hill Courage       14    9   5   0    25    7  +18    32
 2 West Skalton Notes        14   10   2   2    23   10  +13    32
 3 AFC Korda                 14    8   2   4    21   12   +9    26
 4 Northshore FC             14    8   2   4    18   14   +4    26
 5 South Shore Athletic      14    7   0   7    20   18   +2    21
 6 Standard Creston          14    5   5   4    16   12   +4    20
 7 Northmark Admirals        14    6   1   7    12   15   −3    19
 8 Canby Crescent            14    4   5   5    13   12   +1    17
 9 Bay Yards                 14    5   2   7    14   19   −5    17
10 Midvik Varangians         14    3   7   4    15   12   +3    16
11 Salmon Lake FC            14    4   4   6    12   13   −1    16
12 South Beach FC            14    3   4   7     9   15   −6    13
13 Highlands                 14    3   4   7    14   24  −10    13
14 East Vik Island           14    3   3   8    15   30  −15    12
15 FC Industrial             14    1   6   7    13   27  −14     9

League D                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 North Valley            14   10   1   3    19   11   +8    31
 2 Timber FC               14    9   3   2    31   16  +15    30
 3 West Viksee             14    8   2   4    21   11  +10    26
 4 East Jutland FC         14    8   2   4    20   12   +8    26
 5 South Point             14    8   2   4    17   12   +5    26
 6 Salmon Lake             14    8   1   5    19   12   +7    25
 7 Volsung Lake Club       14    7   3   4    24   21   +3    24
 8 West Skalton FC         14    7   2   5    15   16   −1    23
 9 Silver Club             14    6   1   7    15   15    0    19
10 West Woods Elite        14    6   0   8    19   22   −3    18
11 Sporting Red Hill       14    4   3   7    11   17   −6    15
12 Threshers               14    3   3   8    10   21  −11    12
13 East Cliff Cove FC      14    2   3   9    11   18   −7     9
14 Seewatch Club           14    3   0  11    11   23  −12     9
15 Middle Fjords           14    3   0  11    10   26  −16     9

CIFA League E Warrior        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 FC Whitebridge             14    8   2   4    15    9   +6    26
 2 Blackmill                  14    8   2   4    15    9   +6    26
 3 AFC Greenbank              14    8   1   5    15    9   +6    25
 4 Lake Hervor FC             14    7   3   4    18   12   +6    24
 5 Aella Eagles               14    6   4   4    17   18   −1    22
 6 Chesterfield Club          14    4   4   6    19   18   +1    16
 7 Marble Heights Ascent      14    3   7   4    14   14    0    16
 8 Belland FC                 14    4   3   7    12   19   −7    15
 9 Brightway Stargazers       14    2   6   6    13   20   −7    12
10 Riverborne Raiders         14    2   4   8     7   17  −10    10

CIFA League E Sentinel        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Briarville AFC              14    9   5   0    21    5  +16    32
 2 Ice Field Bears             14    8   6   0    27   14  +13    30
 3 Doveport FC                 14    6   4   4    20   15   +5    22
 4 Reya FC                     14    5   6   3    21   17   +4    21
 5 Fireport Flames             14    5   4   5    13   20   −7    19
 6 Blaora Township             14    5   2   7    13   16   −3    17
 7 Southbeach Sailors          14    3   6   5    21   20   +1    15
 8 Thenesse Club               14    3   4   7     8   16   −8    13
 9 Griffin Heights Riders      14    2   5   7     6   14   −8    11
10 Red Winter Club             14    1   4   9    12   25  −13     7

by **The Cordian Isles** » Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:05 am

CIFA LEAGUE A - PART 3

Jutland FC 0–3 Icecliff Pack FC
Lakeshore Hersir 3–0 Gilded City Dragons
Meadow Ridge Maples 0–2 Danvirk FC
Skalton Harpers 1–3 Creston Wolves
Thor's Rest Storm 0–2 Cordasfjord FC
Valley Fold Vengeance 1–2 Channel Point FC
Vikings FC 2–3 Brenville Blue

Lakeshore took a nice 3-0 win over Gilded City. With both offense and defense clicking, the relegation-candidate side took a helpful win to start out the third quarter of the season. Gilded City’s offense was “disjointed as hell” according to Gudmund Lundström, manager for Gilded City. “Really terrible, we need to play a lot better than that if we’re losing to Lakeshore. Meadow Ridge’s streak is finally over, and it came from a team that nobody had ever suspected would pull it off. Danvirk FC, tenth in League A, played solid defense all the way through, and some unusual overcommits from Meadow Ridge’s defense allowed Danvirk enough chances to score twice and win.

Jutland FC reaffirmed their midtable status with a rough 3-0 loss to Icecliff. The win puts Icecliff up into ninth and into a less precarious position, at least for the moment. Creston extended its no-loss streak to fourteen games with a win over Skalton, having not lost in their entire first half of the season and taking a massive lead in first with the Meadow Ridge loss. Cordasfjord fans took hope in their 2-0 win over Thor’s Rest, as their team looks to recover from the freefall that was the second quarter of the season.

Brenville took a 3-2 win over Vikings in an epic back-and-forth that saw two goals in the last five minutes, the first from Vikings, who tied the game at two. Relaxed, they fell back on the kickoff - not advisable against such a striker as Sebastian Voll, who caught the Vik side by surprise, sprinting past their midfield and curving a shot from just outside the box, around a defender so that the Thor’s Rest goaltender couldn’t see it until it was too late. The shot made highlight reels across the world. Channel Point took their first win of the season at Valley Fold, not an especially impressive accomplishment given Valley Fold’s bottom-table place but a success that set fans cheering, as many thought they would fail to win any games this season.

Vikings FC 1–3 Channel Point FC
Valley Fold Vengeance 0–1 Cordasfjord FC
Thor's Rest Storm 3–0 Creston Wolves
Skalton Harpers 1–2 Danvirk FC
Meadow Ridge Maples 1–1 Gilded City Dragons
Lakeshore Hersir 0–1 Icecliff Pack FC
Jutland FC 1–1 Jutland Cannons

Channel Point has done it again! That was the call on CSN as Channel Point took revenge against Vikings for its first loss of the season, leaving the season series drawn. With the next game coming up against Brenville, Channel Point will need more magic than it’s already had to pull out the win. The other big news is Creston’s lossless streak finally ending in dramatic fashion. Something just felt off about their play the entire match and they weren’t able to recover from two first-half goals from Thor’s Rest, who seemed unable to believe what was happening. To be fair, neither did the rest of Cordia.

Cordasfjord looks to be headed back up, or at least gaining momentum, after two straight wins, both in away games, too. This match against Valley Fold saw an ineffective Valley offense struggle for most of the game, despite putting on a lot of pressure in an intense last ten minutes. Cordasfjord wasn’t much better, cracking Valley Fold’s defense wide open on multiple occasions but only capitalizing once. A win is still a win, though, and Cordasfjord fans will go home happy. Meadow Ridge hasn’t won since facing Creston, and draws won’t get them to the IFCF. They earned just one point again today in a match that saw little risk taking from either side, instead focusing on conservative possession tactics. It was still an improvement for Gilded City, who lost by three last time to a Lakeshore team that a top-table squad has no business losing to.

Danvirk held on despite pressure from Lakeshore for a 2-1 win, with no goals scored in the second half. In the Battle for Jutland, an important match for an FC side that has struggled all season long, Jutland FC had a strong start but failed to convert, leaving the match tied at zero all going into the second half. FC got one past Kristin Bergstrin fifteen minutes into that half, but for once the Cannons pressure at the end of the match yielded a tying goal. The result means that Cannons take the season series with a win and a draw over FC. Icecliff beat Lakeshore 1-0, just a few days after Lakeshore upset Gilded City 3-0. Maybe there was an emotional letdown, some sort of infighting, but this was not the same Lakeshore as we saw against Gilded City.

Jutland Cannons 2–0 Lakeshore Hersir
Icecliff Pack FC 2–2 Meadow Ridge Maples
Gilded City Dragons 1–2 Skalton Harpers
Danvirk FC 2–1 Thor's Rest Storm
Creston Wolves 3–0 Valley Fold Vengeance
Cordasfjord FC 1–0 Vikings FC
Channel Point FC 1–4 Brenville Blue

Danvirk FC continued a winning streak that could develop into something big, as we’ve seen this season with Creston and Meadow Ridge’s rides to the top and Cordasfjord’s fall. Danvirk scored early in the first and midway through the second, and only a garbage time goal for Thor’s Rest kept the score looking close. Cordasfjord’s resurgence continued with a tense 1-0 victory over Vikings that saw chances for either side. Cordasfjord converted; Cordasfjord won.

Skalton upset Gilded City in a match that Dragons should have won; a home game and an early lead against a midtable team were not enough for a Dragons team that have struggled as of late. Skalton played brilliantly, though, refusing to give up and taking the win for it. Creston came back from their loss to Thor’s Rest with three first-half goals against Valley Fold, followed up by some solid defense which made those three goals an insurmountable climb even for the mountain dwellers. Brenville ended Channel Point’s point streak with a second-half explosion. The score was 1-1 going into the second half, but Brenville’s offense… did Brenville offense things, scoring three goals in just ten minutes between the 55th and 65th minutes to take a lead that Channel Point’s weak squad could not take back.

Creston dominated Valley Fold from start to finish. Creston seemed to cut through Valley’s defense and midfield as if it was butter, while the Wolves had a defense more like a solid brick wall, with Valley Fold only managing two shots on goal in the entire game, both long-distance, easily-saved shots that only served to boost Creston’s morale. In a battle of promoted sides, Meadow Ridge took a draw against Icecliff, a disappointment after beating the same squad by a score of 5-2 early in the season. Icecliff needs points with the promotion/relegation race heating up and were happy to take the draw to get one.

Brenville Blue 2–0 Cordasfjord FC
Vikings FC 2–1 Creston Wolves
Valley Fold Vengeance 0–2 Danvirk FC
Thor's Rest Storm 0–1 Gilded City Dragons
Skalton Harpers 1–1 Icecliff Pack FC
Meadow Ridge Maples 1–1 Jutland Cannons
Lakeshore Hersir 0–1 Jutland FC

It would seem that Cordasfjord is back to normal play; no massive winning and losing streaks. The loss to Brenville does hurt, especially with Cordasfjord currently placed outside of the IFCF. Cliff Rouge played solid in net, turning away all shots from a Cordasfjord side that was playing well and generating chances. Vikings upset Creston for the latter’s second loss of the season. Creston scored early and it looked like another win for the League A side that has simply dominated this season. A goal at the 33rd minute mark made it a game, and when Vikings got the go-ahead goal with thirteen minutes to go in the second half, defeat and exhaustion appeared to set in for Wolves, who were unable to put together a solid attack from that point onwards. With the win, Vikings are part of what is sure to be an exclusive club even at the end of the season: Those teams that have managed to win the season series against Creston. Danvirk’s meteoric rise continued as they took an easy win against relegation candidate Valley Fold. The win marks Danvirk’s fifth straight win as the team, which many called a relegation candidate to begin the year, looks like it could challenge Creston for the title.

Gilded City kept Thor’s Rest away from the net en route to a 1-0 shutout win which gives Gilded the season series with a draw from early on in the season. Icecliff scored late to escape from Skalton with a draw, and Meadow Ridge did the same to escape a home loss to Cannons as the South Riding team tries to get back on its feet. Jutland FC’s mediocrity continues with a 1-0 win over Lakeshore that saw a lot of defensive play but little offense until an FC goal in the 85th.

Jutland FC 5–3 Meadow Ridge Maples
Jutland Cannons 2–1 Skalton Harpers
Icecliff Pack FC 2–1 Thor's Rest Storm
Gilded City Dragons 2–0 Valley Fold Vengeance
Danvirk FC 3–2 Vikings FC
Creston Wolves 4–1 Brenville Blue
Cordasfjord FC 0–0 Channel Point FC

In what media are calling the “Great Turkey Shoot”, Meadow Ridge and Jutland FC combined for eight goals in the former’s 5-3 win. The teams traded goals in the first half, with Jutland heading to the locker room up 3-2. Meadow Ridge scored the opening goal of the second half, and the game was tied 3-3 until the 86th minute, where Lucas van Oers drew a foul in the box and scored off the penalty to take a 4-3 lead. With Meadow Ridge taking every risk imaginable to get the goal back, Jutland took advantage, getting the ball out to Moniek Wassink who, with nobody able to step between him and the net aside from the goaltender, moved to the inside and sniped the shot into the outside corner to end any debate.

In what most thought would be an ultracompetitive battle of championship contenders, Creston simply dominated Brenville for the whole ninety, scoring in the fifth, fortieth, fity-seventh, and eightieth minutes and only allowing one goal. Creston seem to not have taken a hit despite a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Vikings the previous match. Danvirk took a 2-1 lead into halftime against a rejuvenated Vikings team, with luck very much on the Danvirk side of the ball. Anyone watching could have told you Vikings were the better team, but an own goal and a lucky missed save added two goals to the Danvirk total. However, all Vikings’ effort tired them out by the time they reached the second half, and Danvirk were finally able to break through as an exhausted Vikings defense struggled to run them down. A late Vikings goal reduced the difference, but too late to actually change the outcome without a miracle. Cordasfjord FC looked disjointed and the scoreboard showed it in a scoreless draw with Channel Point, a team with just ten, now eleven points on the season.

Gilded City played a solid game start to finish, taking a 2-0 win over a Valley Fold team that’s desperate for points with the end of the season fast approaching. Icecliff is maintaining a buffer between it and the relegation zone, and a win over Thor’s Rest added a bit of much-needed breathing room. And with a pretty unsurprising scoreline, Cannons beat Harpers as the former struggles to get to IFCF position while the latter fights to stay out of relegation.

Channel Point FC 1–4 Creston Wolves
Brenville Blue 0–0 Danvirk FC
Vikings FC 0–1 Gilded City Dragons
Valley Fold Vengeance 2–1 Icecliff Pack FC
Thor's Rest Storm 1–2 Jutland Cannons
Skalton Harpers 1–1 Jutland FC
Meadow Ridge Maples 0–0 Lakeshore Hersir

Many thought that Brenville would be the team to end Danvirk’s points streak, but as happened with Meadow Ridge, Brenville could not stop the rolling freight train that is Danvirk FC and is now left with the possibility of giving up their position in 2nd if they can’t avoid a loss against Gilded City. Gilded City, adding to their short win streak with a win over Vikings this matchday, could very well prove a dangerous opponent for Brenville.

Creston showed Channel Point what top of the league looks like with a resounding 4-1 victory that saw four goals from Creston in the first half, an insurmountable lead for just about any team, Channel Point most of all. CP is almost guaranteed a relegation spot in the absence of an epic winning streak, which is looking increasingly unlikely as the days go by. Thor’s Rest lost to Jutland Cannons, their eleventh loss of the season as the Storm have struggled to get points on the board and have netted just two wins, a level on par with Channel Point. Lakeshore didn’t win but still picked up some much-needed points against Meadow Ridge, as every point is magnified with the end of the season and relegation looming. Valley Fold managed a win over Pack as they struggle against Lakeshore’s and Skalton’s leads to try and avoid their first relegation in the new CIFA. Skalton had a lead against Jutland FC heading into the second half - but an early second half goal and the stalemated match that followed did not allow for tiebreaker.

Lakeshore Hersir 1–0 Skalton Harpers
Jutland FC 3–2 Thor's Rest Storm
Jutland Cannons 2–0 Valley Fold Vengeance
Icecliff Pack FC 0–2 Vikings FC
Gilded City Dragons 0–0 Brenville Blue
Danvirk FC 4–2 Channel Point FC
Creston Wolves 2–2 Cordasfjord FC

In a reprise of the game early in the season that sent Cordasfjord tumbling off a cliff, it looked like Creston had another win in their hands, with a 2-0 lead and ten minutes to go in the match. But a late goal for Cordasfjord kept it competitive, and the tying goal came in stoppage time as the Wolves defense finally cracked under the strain of pressure from Cordasfjord. Gilded City, fighting to stay among the list of high-table teams with Cordasfjord rising from below, drew with Brenville, neither team getting a solid chance for the full 90.

Danvirk continued its points streak, this time with four goals against Channel point in an impressive showing on offense. On defense, however, things were not nearly as rosy as the league’s worst team and second-worst offense scored twice on Danvirk, suggesting a weakness in the backfield. Channel Point scored the first goal of the game, silencing the packed crowd at the Castle, though they weren’t silent for long as Danvirk closed out the half with a 2-1 lead. Danvirk made the lead 3-1 in the 63rd minute and the teams traded goals in the final ten.

Lakeshore took home a 1-0 win over Harpers, gaining some much-needed breathing room in the relegation race. Coupled with a loss for Valley Fold at Cannons, Lakeshore has a bit of breathing space but with the current state of the league, that could change in an instant. Icecliff lost to Vikings in a match that gave Pack the opportunity to shoot up to 8th in the league had they won, and though they have a ten-point buffer from relegation, as we’ve seen throughout the season, anything can happen.

CIFA League A             Pld    W   D   L   GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Creston Wolves           20   13   5   2   51   27  +24   44
2 Brenville Blue           19   11   2   6   32   22  +10   35
3 Danvirk FC               20   11   2   7   31   25   +6   35
4 Jutland Cannons          20    9   7   4   34   20  +14   34
5 Gilded City Dragons      20    8   8   4   20   15   +5   32
6 Cordasfjord FC           19    9   4   6   25   26   −1   31
7 Meadow Ridge Maples      19    8   6   5   37   28   +9   30
8 Jutland FC               19    8   4   7   32   30   +2   28
9 Vikings FC               20    8   3   9   37   36   +1   27
10 Icecliff Pack FC        20    7   5   8   33   39   −6   26
11 Skalton Harpers         20    5   7   8   33   38   −5   22
12 Lakeshore Hersir        19    6   3  10   24   32   −8   21
13 Valley Fold Vengeance   20    4   4  12   27   43  −16   16
14 Thor's Rest Storm       20    2   7  11   17   27  −10   13
15 Channel Point FC        19    2   5  12   17   42  −25   11

Danvirk's run to the top, coupled with Meadow Ridge's drop to 7th, have been the stories of the last seven matchdays. Creston remains on top, currently by an impressive 9-point margin, but as we've seen so often this season, that could very well mean nothing, especially as Brenville has a game in hand. Jutland FC have played like a midtable team all year long and it's not a good look for last season's runners up, as they've lost games they should have won and that has placed them in 8th. There's still potential for a more respectable finish, especially with the points difference so small, but it's simply unlikely with the inconsistency they've shown in their last 19 matches. A gap has developed in the bottom of the table, with a four-point jump from 10th to 11th and a five-point jump from 12th to 13th. This leaves around five teams that could reasonably face relegation this season; Skalton, Lakeshore, Valley Fold, Thor's Rest, and Channel Point. Channel Point is almost a guarantee; they have little League A history and have performed terribly all season. Thor's Rest finished just a win out of the IFCF last season, and almost certainly face relegation, quite a fall for such a competitive team. Valley Fold looks to disappoint their fans again. It'll be hard to claw their way out of the cellar, and as any lifelong Valley Fold resident will tell you: Valley Fold just doesn't do miracles. Lakeshore is no surprise at the bottom, but many expected them to finish dead last this season, a mark that Channel Point is the favorite for now. Despite losing Bergstrin, Lakeshore's defense has been better than expected and they might just avoid relegation this season. Skalton is what most consider a midtable team, and are unlikely to be relegated because, well, no particular reason other than it just doesn't feel right. Skalton belongs in League A.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Nov 10, 2021 2:03 am

CIFA LEAGUE A - PART 4

Cordasfjord FC 1–3 Danvirk FC
Channel Point FC 0–1 Gilded City Dragons
Brenville Blue 1–0 Icecliff Pack FC
Vikings FC 2–3 Jutland Cannons
Valley Fold Vengeance 3–2 Jutland FC
Thor's Rest Storm 5–4 Lakeshore Hersir
Skalton Harpers 2–3 Meadow Ridge Maples

Danvirk continued their bid for the IFCF with a 3-1 win over Cordasfjord, at the Colosseum no less. An early goal from Cordasfjord set the arena screaming, but a response just two minutes later silenced the crowd. The silence was deafening when Danvirk scored the go-ahead goal in stoppage of the first half, and stayed that way as Cordasfjord seemed unable to get the ball out of their side under stifling pressure from Danvirk, which resulted in a goal in the 54th minute as Danvirk took the win to stay in the IFCF conversation. Brenville, fighting to keep its place in second, experience self-inflicted injuries with missed passes and screw-ups in defensive coverage. Stellar play from Cliff Rouge kept them in it, including a triple save in the 31st minute which is sure to be among the year’s top 5 highlights in Cordian sports. The saving grace came in the 71st minute, when Voll picked up a stray Icecliff pass as the half line and simply outran the defender, bearing down on the keeper and driving the ball past for the game winner.
Thor’s Rest is trying to claw its way out of the relegation hole its found itself in, and the game against Lakeshore takes on even more meaning as a result. With ten minutes to go and a 4-2 lead, Lakeshore thought they had it made and began holding back. With plenty of space to work with, Thor’s Rest began a dizzying pass play, bringing the Hersir out of position and ending in a cross to the inside for an easy head-in. 4-3. Thor’s Rest attacked right out of the kickoff, taking the ball within seconds. Jarno Simon sprinted around the outside before releasing a shot which bent into the far post before bouncing in. Within a minute and a half to go, 4-4. Lakeshore was now in shock and making the match more of a battle, but with a minute to go before stoppage time, the Hersir overcommitted to an attack and Rasmus Karlsson lofted a pass out to Simon, who sprinted in, bounced a shot off the post, and cleaned up his own rebound for the goal. Victory Storm.
Gilded City’s defense held solid in a 1-0 win over Channel Point, while Valley Fold picked up some points as they turn up the heat to try and avoid relegation. Cannons traded goals with Vikings the whole game, but came out on top, allowing them to keep close in the race to the IFCF. Meadow Ridge did the same with Skalton, though they’re still at the point where a bad two matches could take them entirely out of the conversation.

Meadow Ridge Maples 3–4 Thor's Rest Storm
Lakeshore Hersir 1–0 Valley Fold Vengeance
Jutland FC 4–2 Vikings FC
Jutland Cannons 1–1 Brenville Blue
Icecliff Pack FC 4–1 Channel Point FC
Gilded City Dragons 1–2 Cordasfjord FC
Danvirk FC 2–1 Creston Wolves
Cannons and Brenville each had massive chances to win the game in the last fifteen, but spectacular play from the goaltenders shut them down, leavin both sides dissatisfied in a 1-1 draw. The surprise of the day was Danvirk taking a win over Creston, reducing the lead for the Wolves to just six points, and if we’ve seen anything this season, we know that these things can change fast. In a game with massive implications for relegation, Lakeshore’s defense stayed strong to take a win over Valley Fold, as they continue to try to stay up in the A League. With Brenville, Cordasfjord, Creston, Danvirk, and Gilded City all on the remaining schedule for the Hersir, there will be no easy points, and you know that Thor’s Rest can smell blood. After last match’s incredibly clutch, game-of-the-season candidate win over Lakeshore, they followed up with a 4-3 win in Meadow Ridge that saw a late Maples comeback fall just short.
Cordasfjord played a solid all-around match and it was a win for them against Gilded City, as Cordasfjord are fighting like lions to get back to their early-season ranking and into those three IFCF places. Icecliff had a solid game against Channel Point, taking a 4-1 win and keeping a bit of space between them and the relegation teams. Jutland FC held off a late surge by Vikings despite letting a late goal through, and they took a 4-2 win. FC at this point are playing for Cordia Cup seeding, with advancement to the IFCF at this point nearly impossible.

Creston Wolves 0–0 Gilded City Dragons
Cordasfjord FC 1–0 Icecliff Pack FC
Channel Point FC 0–4 Jutland Cannons
Brenville Blue 3–1 Jutland FC
Vikings FC 2–1 Lakeshore Hersir
Valley Fold Vengeance 1–3 Meadow Ridge Maples
Thor's Rest Storm 1–1 Skalton Harpers
It was an unsurprising day of Cordian football, with the most likely outcomes occurring in each match. Gilded City managed a draw with Creston, though it’s mostly irrelevant as Gilded City doesn’t figure to be an IFCF competitor any longer barring an incredible run from the defensively-minded side. Jutland Cannons ended their season series against Channel Point with an exclamation mark, netting four goals in the first half before giving Jorie Rounds a break for the second half. The win marks the team’s ninth straight match without a loss, an impressive run of form which Cannons needed to stay competitive for a place in the IFCF.
Cordasfjord FC continued its bid for the top 4 with a pretty easy 1-0 win against Icecliff, in which the latter never really got a chance for a goal. With both of the Jutland teams coming up for Cordasfjord, the win is a nice boost, especially critical with Cannons playing so well at the moment. In Brenville, the Blue shut down Jutland FC and scored three times themselves as they attempt to lock up an intense race to make the IFCF, with the championship seemingly in Creston’s grasp.
Meadow Ridge took a 3-1 win over Valley Fold, as the latter struggles desperately for points to stay out of League B. With the next few matchdays featuring a lineup of low-ranked clubs for Valley Fold, they could well prove the decider of whether Valley Fold drops down to League B or not. Another match with major implications for relegation was played in Thor’s Rest. The Storm scored early, giving their fans hope for a win, but a late goal from Skalton dashed those to the dirt, leaving Thor’s Rest with a bad taste in their mouth, having dominated 80 minutes of play, with only one point to show for it. The other side of the coin in the story of relegation this season is Lakeshore, who played a match against Vikings that looked a lot closer on paper, with a Vikings own goal early in the second half tying the match despite Vikings being the better team. It wouldn’t matter for the side from the Vik, as a goal in the 73rd from Wesley Wever gave them the win and the three points.

Skalton Harpers 1–1 Valley Fold Vengeance
Meadow Ridge Maples 1–0 Vikings FC
Lakeshore Hersir 1–3 Brenville Blue
Jutland FC 1–1 Channel Point FC
Jutland Cannons 1–3 Cordasfjord FC
Icecliff Pack FC 0–1 Creston Wolves
Gilded City Dragons 1–1 Danvirk FC
In a battle of high-table teams, Cordasfjord took the win in Jutland as their wins look to be turning into a streak. Jutland fans saw another round of disappointment as their side scored early but burned out in the second half, allowing three goals which sent the stadium into deafening silence. This season has been a complete and total letdown for them after last season’s runner-up finish left the club with title aspirations for the second season of CIFA football. Instead, they’ve been about as mediocre as you can get, staying in eighth for much of the season.
Valley Fold drew with Skalton, gaining points as Lakeshore lost and Thor’s Rest was out of action. Impressive play on the defensive side of things, including a blocked penalty, kept Valley Fold competitive despite a Harpers goal in the 36th minute and plenty of chances for them to widen the lead. An Isabel Adams goal in the 68th allowed Vengeance fans a bit of a respite as they gained the momentum and pressed for a second goal for the remainder of the match. This time it was Skalton with the defensive plays, keeping Valley Fold well away from the net and making the match look like a game of ping pong for the last 20 minutes.
Creston took an expected win over Icecliff, leading from the fifth minute out and never allowing the latter a chance. Brenville destroyed Lakeshore, Voll netting a goal in each half, singlehandedly outscoring a beleaguered Lakeshore side which is desperate for points, making this an opportunity squandered with Thor’s Rest out of action. Jutland FC may have hit its lowest point of the season, tying a match with Channel Point that was the latter’s match to win as Jutland sat back on their heels for most of the match. Their lone goal involved almost no effort on their part, as Eline van Mierlo screwed up a long-range shot from Frits Vis, popping the ball up and sending it bar-down on Channel Point’s own net, a shot that highlighted the woes League B’s former champion has experienced all season long. Danvirk, back from a badly-timed bye that saw all four other teams in serious IFCF contention take points, drew with Gilded City as they saw their attack broken up time and time again by the league’s best defense, finally scoring in the 80th minute to avert a disaster.

Danvirk FC 3–2 Icecliff Pack FC
Creston Wolves 1–1 Jutland Cannons
Cordasfjord FC 2–1 Jutland FC
Channel Point FC 1–0 Lakeshore Hersir
Brenville Blue 2–2 Meadow Ridge Maples
Vikings FC 0–0 Skalton Harpers
Valley Fold Vengeance 0–1 Thor's Rest Storm
Lakeshore missed a golden opportunity against Channel Point, taking no points instead of the three they would have preferred – and needed, especially with Thor’s Rest taking a victory over Valley Fold. The Vengeance missed a golden opportunity of their own, as a win could have sent them up and into 11th or 12th place, and out of relegation for the moment. There will be other opportunities, but this is a bit hit for Valley Fold to take. Some say it couldn’t have been better-timed, though, as the effect might be lessened going into a bye, and you can bet Valley Fold will come back with a purpose, even if they do lose ground.
Danvirk looked comfortable heading into halftime with a 3-0 lead over Icecliff. A red card for Vladimir Demov in the 50th minute didn’t faze them all that much… Until Icecliff absolutely savaged their back line, scoring two goals within two minutes of each other, in the 61st and 63rd. Danvirk got their crap together and prevented any further goals, but this was only because strong play from their midfielder kept the ball on Icecliff’s side of the field for much of the remainder.
In what normally would have been a big match to discuss, a rather dull back-and-forth between Creston and Cannons ended in a 1-1 draw. Cordasfjord kept their win streak going with a 2-1 win over Jutland FC that saw two Minna Rundström goals make the difference.
Brenville was looking for a win but took a draw against Meadow Ridge, having to claw back to a tie after going down 2-0 in the 55th minute. The least relevant of the day’s matches was made less so by the result: a 0-0 draw between Vikings and Skalton.
Despite some tense matches, the matchday’s news was made off the field. Viktoria Berg, heralded as the face of a Jutland FC office that would bring the club to world relevance, has been fired due to the freefall that the club has been in since the beginning of the season. Many saw it coming, though few expected to see it after a loss to Cordasfjord, one of the league’s better teams. But apparently the powers that be have had enough with Berg, and the loss for Cordasfjord was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. Word is that Berg will seek international employment next season. In the interim, Harald Verhulmsen, one of Jutland FC’s assistant managers, will serve, though the club has said it is considering its options for the next season and that a new manager will be named by then.

Thor's Rest Storm 1–1 Vikings FC
Skalton Harpers 4–3 Brenville Blue
Meadow Ridge Maples 1–0 Channel Point FC
Lakeshore Hersir 1–3 Cordasfjord FC
Jutland FC 1–1 Creston Wolves
Jutland Cannons 3–0 Danvirk FC
Icecliff Pack FC 0–1 Gilded City Dragons
The upset of the matchday was Skalton’s victory over Brenville in an intense shootout that was entertaining to the last. Sebastian Voll scored early to give Brenville a 1-0 lead, which widened to 2-0 on a Skalton own goal, coming off of a Callie Brooke corner kick in the 30th. Skalton needed something to turn the match around, and they got it in the form of a penalty shot just five minutes after the own goal. The resulting goal, a beautiful post-and-in shot from Cecile van der Zwan, completely changed the nature of the game and suddenly it was all Skalton. No further goals resulted in the first half, but with Skalton pressing, Perry Oosterhuis tied the match at two off of a van der Zwan corner in the 47th. Just four minutes later, Oosterhuis reversed the narrative and van der Zwan took her second goal and third point of a monster game. The match was scrappy from there on out, neither team giving an inch. The game-winner from Skalton wasn’t who anyone would expect. An absolute rocket from Marc Dam gave Harpers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, despite a Brandi Newport goal in the last five and intense pressure from the Brenville side.
In the club’s first game after Berg’s firing, Jutland FC managed a respectable result, a draw with Creston, who’ve been out of the news recently as most have simply assumed they will take the championship. Thor’s Rest drew with Vikings, making a bit of ground as Lakeshore dropped by two goals to a storming Cordasfjord. Jutland Cannons took a valuable three points, scoring thrice against a Danvirk team that needed the win just as much as Cannons did. The race for the IFCF tightened up, with Brenville completely losing its three-point lead. Icecliff dropped yet another match, though it wasn’t much of a surprise as Gilded City has played spectacular defense for the entirety of this season, so that allowing a goal against the Dragons very often spells a loss for their opponent.

Gilded City Dragons 0–1 Jutland Cannons
Danvirk FC 0–0 Jutland FC
Creston Wolves 2–0 Lakeshore Hersir
Cordasfjord FC 3–0 Meadow Ridge Maples
Channel Point FC 0–3 Skalton Harpers
Brenville Blue 4–2 Thor's Rest Storm
Vikings FC 0–2 Valley Fold Vengeance
Valley Fold came off of their bye without missing a beat, with solid play from keeper Jeannet Walraven shutting out Vikings, while major Vikings mistakes in coverage led to goals for the Vengeance. With Lakeshore and Thor’s Rest both dropping their matches and just two to go, Valley Fold gained ground where a loss might have put them out of things for good, and it’s shaping up to be an incredible rush to the finish for those three clubs. In Lakeshore’s match, Creston dominated from start to finish as one might expect, and though Dineke Leeuwen got a few chances, the Wolves’ defense shut her down and marked her for the whole second half. For Thor’s Rest, the result was less acceptable, as only a garbage-time goal with most of Brenville’s defense subbed out kept the score within two, and for most of the match the Blue dominated the Storm, leaving the latter’s defense looking around and wondering if Sebastian Voll had superpowers.
Cannons took a 1-0 victory over a Dragons club that has been iffy of late, though the keepers on both sides put on a show with highlight after highlight. It probably should have been a 3-2 match, but such was the level of skill shown by the keepers. Danvirk drew with Jutland FC, a scoreless draw that saw neither team take any real risks and overall was just very boring to watch. Cordasfjord crushed Meadow Ridge, with the vast majority of play happening on the Maples side of the field and any attacks from Meadow Ridge just looking very disjointed, exactly what a team does not want heading into the final two matchdays. Skalton had a field day against Channel Point, a team whose stadium rarely reaches 75% capacity anymore, and when it does, it’s usually majority fans of the opposition. The match against Skalton was no exception, with the crowd going wild after every Harpers goal, even in the away match. There was plenty to celebrate, too, as Channel Point had a rough time putting anything together while the Harpers seemed to score at will, in situations that any defense of any quality should be able to prevent.

CIFA League A             Pld    W   D   L   GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Creston Wolves           26   15   8   3   57   31  +26   53
2 Brenville Blue           26   15   4   7   49   33  +16   49
3 Cordasfjord FC           26   15   4   7   40   33   +7   49
4 Jutland Cannons          27   13   9   5   48   27  +27   48
5 Danvirk FC               26   14   4   8   40   33   +7   46
6 Meadow Ridge Maples      26   12   7   7   50   40  +10   43
7 Gilded City Dragons      26   10  10   6   24   19   +5   40
8 Jutland FC               26    9   7  10   42   42    0   34
9 Vikings FC               27    9   5  13   44   48   -4   32
10 Skalton Harpers         26    7  10   9   44   46   −2   31
11 Icecliff Pack FC        26    8   5  13   39   47   −8   29
12 Thor's Rest Storm       26    5   9  12   31   40   −9   24
13 Lakeshore Hersir        26    7   3  16   32   48  −16   24
14 Valley Fold Vengeance   26    6   5  15   34   51  −17   23
15 Channel Point FC        26    3   6  17   20   56  −36   15

May still win championship
May still place in the IFCF
May still be relegated
Relegated

Channel Point are officially relegated, and they have no chance of going anywhere but 15th. They might be able to drag another team down with them with matches against Thor’s Rest and Valley Fold upcoming, but the only thing they can do for their own season is go on a run in the Cordia Cup. Valley Fold, Lakeshore, and Thor’s Rest are locked in a battle to avoid relegation, and only one of them will make it out. Icecliff could also be relegated, especially as they end their season with tough matches against Cannons and Jutland FC, though it would take a reverse miracle for that to work out. Skalton, Vikings, Jutland, and Gilded City have nothing left to play for except Cordia Cup seeding and perhaps a bit of dignity. Meadow Ridge is very much on the outside looking in at IFCF positioning, but that looks even less likely with rough games upcoming - against Creston and Danvirk. Danvirk doesn’t control its own destiny, but with an easier match against Lakeshore and then home advantage against Meadow Ridge, they’re certainly a threat for the top 3 and IFCF placing. Jutland Cannons are just a point back of the top 3, but with only one match remaining that point is looking like a much larger margin than it might appear on the standings sheet. Cordasfjord and Brenville are fighting each other to stay at the top of League A. Cordasfjord have been one of the streakiest teams in the league, going from first to seventh, and all the way back up to third as of MD 26. They won’t give up over the last two matchdays, and with matches against Skalton and Thor’s Rest upcoming they could be primed for a run to second or even the first-place slot that Creston has held with an iron fist for much of the season. In the second half of the season, it’s been Brenville always buzzing around in the top two or three clubs, and with a relatively easy schedule remaining, like Cordasfjord, they could pull off a last-second coup. And Creston? For all the talk of coups and last-second runs to the championship, Creston are not going to give up on that first-place slot and there’s a reason those kinds of runs would be a surprise: Creston is a really, really good football team.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Fri Nov 26, 2021 1:22 am

CIFA LEAGUE A - PART 5

Valley Fold Vengeance 1–0 Brenville Blue
Thor's Rest Storm 1–0 Channel Point FC
Skalton Harpers 2–1 Cordasfjord FC
Meadow Ridge Maples 0–0 Creston Wolves
Lakeshore Hersir 2–0 Danvirk FC
Jutland FC 0–1 Gilded City Dragons
Jutland Cannons 3–2 Icecliff Pack FC
In a must-win match for Valley Fold, the team needed an upset over Brenville, while Brenville needed a victory over the Vengeance to have even a chance at taking the league championship. But the men in blue seemed to be looking too far forward and not at their own feet, as a stumble from Sebastian Voll in the 38th as he had possession caused a counterattack in the opposite direction, and Vengeance converted for the only goal of the match. Creston drew with Maple Ridge, giving Brenville and Cordasfjord a chance to make up ground in the standings. However, Cordasfjord lost to Skalton despite holding a lead going into halftime.
Thor’s Rest took a win over Channel Point, 1-0, dominating the match in a way the scoreboard wouldn’t reflect, as bad luck and chances left unconverted stole goals from the relegation-zone side. With the win, the Storm continued to earn their position just above the line. Lakeshore, also battling to get above the relegation line, executed well against Danvirk, effectively ending the latter’s bid for the IFCF by putting the top-5 side on their heels with an early press and a goal coming off it. The Hersir never relented the rest of the way as Danvirk lost much of its team cohesion and began seeing individuals “putting on the cape” and trying to make hero plays, something that almost never works for a team of eleven.
Cannons needed a win to have so much as a chance at the IFCF, and they got one in a muddy back-and-forth with Icecliff that came amid a downpour over Jutland. It certainly wasn’t pretty or what the fans wanted, but a 3-2 win and a 3-0 win are both worth three points, and it gave Cannons a chance for the top 3. The most irrelevant match of the day was Jutland FC’s boring, muddy loss to Gilded City, also played in a downpour in Jutland. It was simply terrible to watch, as chances got bogged down in the mud and the Dragons defense and nothing really happened aside from an Anton Osterholt goal which came, fittingly, on a penalty.

CIFA League A             Pld    W   D   L   GF   GA   GD   Pts
1  Creston Wolves          27   15   9   3   57   31  +26    54   CHAMPIONS; IFCF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
2  Jutland Cannons         28   14   9   5   51   29  +22    51
3  Brenville Blue          27   15   4   8   49   34  +15    49
4  Cordasfjord FC          27   15   4   8   41   35   +6    49
5  Danvirk FC              27   14   4   9   40   35   +5    46
6  Meadow Ridge Maples     27   12   8   7   50   40  +10    44
7  Gilded City Dragons     27   11  10   6   25   19   +6    43
8  Skalton Harpers         27    8  10   9   46   47   −1    34
9  Jutland FC              27    9   7  11   42   43   −1    34
10 Vikings FC              27    9   5  13   44   48   −4    32
11 Icecliff Pack FC        27    8   5  14   41   50   −9    29
12 Thor's Rest Storm       27    6   9  12   32   40   −8    27
13 Lakeshore Hersir        27    8   3  16   34   48  −14    27
14 Valley Fold Vengeance   27    7   5  15   35   51  −16    26
15 Channel Point FC        27    3   6  18   20   57  −37    15   RELEGATED

Creston fans rejoice, as their hometown team has clinched the championship and will participate in next season’s IFCF and AO Champions Leagues. Jutland Cannons are in second, but it’s a very precarious position. If both Brenville and Cordasfjord win against their bottom-table opponents in the final matchday, Cannons will be out of luck. Brenville is in with a win, but they still could make the IFCF with a bit of luck in case of a loss or draw. Cordasfjord, with a far lower goal differential than Brenville, require a win to take a top 3 spot and make the IFCF. Danvirk FC are a nonfactor, as it would take a massive win for them, and massive losses for Brenville and Cordasfjord for them to make the IFCF. On the lower side of things, Channel Point is out but have a chance to ruin Valley Fold’s season in their upcoming match. Valley Fold needs a victory to avoid relegation this season. Thor’s Rest is barely above the line on tiebreakers over Lakeshore. A loss for the Storm could be disastrous, though, as a point for Lakeshore would put them over the line and the Storm into relegation. Icecliff fans have reason to be nervous, even if it’s still unlikely that they’d be relegated. An Icecliff loss and wins for Thor’s Rest and Lakeshore would send the 11th-place Pack tumbling down into 13th and relegation. As for Meadow Ridge, Gilded City, Skalton, Jutland FC and Vikings? They’re just fighting for seeding now, and perhaps to ruin an opponent’s season, but otherwise their matches are irrelevant and the focus is on the top and bottom five.

And with that, the final matchday. All matches were played at the same time to prevent collusion.

Icecliff Pack FC 0–1 Jutland FC
A win for Jutland FC, sure. The victory did nothing to lessen the sting of Jutland FC’s fall from runners-up to eight-place in the league. The club is expected to hire a new manager in the offseason after the late firing of Berg didn’t give Harald Verhulmsen the time to do all that much. Should the team not compete well next season, Jutland FC could be replaced in the Big 4 by Creston.

Icecliff’s loss left them checking results in the locker room to make sure they hadn’t been relegated. They hadn’t, but there was no celebration. Two losses at a critical time and leaving fate to the opponents is never a good thing for a club, even a just-promoted one. Nevertheless, Icecliff will look to build on this foothold next season, and they could very well become a midtable team if they can stay up in the next few seasons.

Gilded City Dragons 4–2 Lakeshore Hersir
An explosive match for Gilded City means they end the season on a high note in 6th. With Anton Osterholt only getting better with age, this club is one to look for in the coming seasons. The match itself was explosive and fun to watch, as Osterholt picked apart the Hersir defense with two goals and a few others joined in, quite unusual for a Dragons squad who have found themselves being carried on the back of Osterholt's abilities.

The Dragons’ high note was Lakeshore’s downfall. A point would have allowed them to avoid relegation, but it wasn’t to be. Lakeshore will hope to gain promotion next season, but it will be rough with their former stars having all abandoned the team and Dineke Leeuwen set to leave in the upcoming transfer window.

Danvirk FC 1–0 Meadow Ridge Maples
Meadow Ridge proved itself this season, including being all the way up at second for a time. While their form fell off in the last part of the season, it was incredible for a promoted team, and we can expect to see plenty of the Maples in the coming seasons. The loss hurt and ended the regular season on a bit of a bad note, but the Maples will come to the Cordia Cup motivated.

Danvirk took the win in this match and are another club on the rise. Relegation would have meant disaster for this club, which hosts matches in the state-of-the-art Castle, and many pundits predicted such a result. Not to be; Danvirk had an incredible season not unlike Meadow Ridge’s, but an untimely bye sent them tumbling and killed the team’s momentum just as they were looking unstoppable. The win may help them rekindle that confidence, which would be needed to make a Cordia Cup run.

Creston Wolves 4–2 Skalton Harpers
Creston were the biggest surprise in the league, but they played like everyone had predicted them finishing first, with the confidence of a team that everyone just knew was going to win. The Wolves lost just three matches this season, winning sixteen. The kind of form will be hard to maintain, but expect Creston to fight like, well, wolves, to qualify again for the Champions Leagues (AO and IFCF) next season, and they are likely to try for a deep Cordia Cup run after last season's heartbreaker in the finals, a loss on penalties to league and cup champions Cordasfjord.

There was nothing that notable about Skalton this season. They performed a bit over the expectations of most and overall had a very mediocre season. Not entirely a bad thing considering the main alternative was relegation. The club stays up in League A but a single stumble could mean a relegation for them in the coming seasons, and they don't look like a competitive team anytime in the next 5 years.

Cordasfjord FC 2–0 Thor's Rest Storm
The needed win for Cordasfjord puts them into the Challengers’ Cup, over Cannons by one point. This season the club fell short of repeating as league champion, but it was still a respectable showing. A solid victory by two with a clean sheet over Thor's Rest was a nice topper which should give the team a boost going into the Cordia Cup.

Thor’s Rest took the loss and found themselves, much like Icecliff, frantically checking the Lakeshore score. This season they avoid relegation by goal differential. It could be a turbulent (ahem) offseason for the Storm, with rumblings of rough contract negotiations between Hannah Andersen and club management being reported by most sports outlets, with some even saying she may go overseas as one of the first Cordians to do so.

Channel Point FC 1–0 Valley Fold Vengeance
Channel Point had a rough season from start to finish and found themselves completely outclassed by their A League competition. Late in the season, the only thing left for them to do was ruin other teams’ seasons. So they did exactly that, taking a win over Vengeance which, had it been a draw, would have given Valley Fold a small chance of avoiding relegation, while a Vengeance victory would have catapulted them out of the relegation zone.

Instead of a glorious victory to finish off the season and generate some momentum, Valley Fold barely managed any shots and few of those posed a threat against a Channel Point team noted for its poor defense. Well, poor everything really, but especially defense. Having fallen from 6th last season to 14th in this one, the club can expect a new manager and plenty of new players next season.

Brenville Blue 3–1 Vikings FC
Brenville improved on last season’s 3rd-place finish, taking second this time but still searching for a league championship post-internationalization. The club will have another turn in the IFCF, hoping to avenge this past cycle’s horrible performance. The only Cordian team to take part in the international transfer window, the experiment worked for the Blue as Qasden's Cliff Rouge helped improve their average of goals allowed significantly while Voll's offensive production has not slowed down, as he's expected to be Cordia's top scorer when called up for the Baptism of Fire.

Vikings FC were a solidly mediocre team this season and there’s not all that much worth saying about them. A Cordia Cup run might bring them to significance, with the end-of-season cup upcoming, but barring that, hopefully they can do something better next season and actually make themselves relevant.

CIFA League A             Pld    W   D   L   GF   GA   GD   Pts
1  Creston Wolves          28   16   9   3   61   33  +28    57   CHAMPIONS; IFCF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
2  Brenville Blue          28   16   4   8   52   35  +17    52   IFCF CHALLENGERS CUP
3  Cordasfjord FC          28   16   4   8   43   35   +8    52   IFCF CHALLENGERS CUP
4  Jutland Cannons         28   14   9   5   51   29  +22    51
5  Danvirk FC              28   15   4   9   41   35   +6    49
6  Gilded City Dragons     28   12  10   6   29   21   +8    46
7  Meadow Ridge Maples     28   12   8   8   50   41   +9    44
8  Jutland FC              28   10   7  11   43   43    0    37
9  Skalton Harpers         28    8  10  10   48   51   −3    34
10 Vikings FC              28    9   5  14   45   51   −6    32
11 Icecliff Pack FC        28    8   5  15   41   51  −10    29
12 Thor's Rest Storm       28    6   9  13   32   42  −10    27
13 Lakeshore Hersir        28    8   3  17   36   52  −16    27   RELEGATED
14 Valley Fold Vengeance   28    7   5  16   35   52  −17    26   RELEGATED
15 Channel Point FC        28    4   6  18   21   57  −36    18   RELEGATED

by **The Cordian Isles** » Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:43 am

END OF SEASON - LOWER LEAGUES

CIFA League B       	Pld	W   D   L   GF   GA   GD    Pts
1 Shelter Cove Captains  28    16   5   7   38   16  +22     53   PROMOTION; LIGA B CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2 Westwall Stand         28    16   4   8   40   27  +13     52   PROMOTION; LIGA B CHAMPIONS TROPHY
3 Eriksson Icecaps       28    15   5   8   42   24  +18     50   PROMOTION; LIGA B CHAMPIONS TROPHY
4 White River FC         28    14   6   8   41   32   +9     48
5 Mountainview FC        28    13   8   7   36   21  +15     47
6 East Fjord FC          28    13   7   8   34   26   +8     46
7 Thetford FC            28    10  12   6   38   36   +2     42
8 Southmont Hawks FC     28    11   7  10   30   31   −1     40
9 Norport FC             28    10   7  11   30   33   −3     37
10 Courvale Kings FC     28     9   4  15   30   31   −1     31
11 Red Hill Smithers     28     7  10  11   27   32   −5     31
12 North Courvale FC     28     7   7  14   20   36  −16     28
13 North Bay FC          28     7   6  15   26   39  −13     27   RELEGATION
14 West Vik Valkyries    28     8   3  17   29   49  −20     27   RELEGATION
15 South Bay FC          28     5   7  16   25   53  −28     22   RELEGATION

League C                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 AFC Korda               28   19   4   5    60   20  +40    61   PROMOTION
 2 Castle Hill Courage     28   15   8   5    40   20  +20    53   PROMOTION
 3 Northshore FC           28   15   6   7    39   25  +14    51   PROMOTION
 4 West Skalton Notes      28   15   2  11    35   31   +4    47
 5 South Shore Athletic    28   13   3  12    37   29   +8    42
 6 Canby Crescent          28   10   9   9    31   24   +7    39
 7 Standard Creston        28    8  11   9    27   30   -3    35
 8 Northmark Admirals      28   10   5  13    21   30   -9    35
 9 Highlands               28    9   7  12    29   39  −10    34
10 FC Industrial           28    8  10  10    26   36  −10    34
11 Bay Yards               28    9   5  14    23   36  −13    32
12 South Beach FC          28    7  10  11    25   38  −13    32
13 Midvik Varangians       28    6  10  12    25   32   −7    28   RELEGATION
14 Salmon Lake FC          28    6  10  12    23   30   −7    28   RELEGATION
15 East Vik Island         28    6   8  14    26   51  −25    26   RELEGATION

League D                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Volsung Lake Club       28   17   7   4    47   25  +22    58   PROMOTION
 2 Timber FC               28   15   7   6    53   31  +22    52   PROMOTION
 3 South Point             28   14   7   7    30   24   +6    49   PROMOTION
 4 West Viksee             28   15   3  10    44   30  +14    48
 5 West Skalton FC         28   14   5   9    38   28  +10    47
 6 North Valley            28   14   4  10    27   22   +5    46
 7 East Jutland FC         28   13   4  11    39   28  +11    43
 8 Salmon Lake             28   12   4  12    30   29   +1    40
 9 Silver Club             28    9   8  11    26   27   −1    35
10 West Woods Elite        28   10   2  16    34   43   −9    32
11 Threshers               28    9   5  14    29   41  −12    32
12 Sporting Red Hill       28    9   5  14    25   38  −13    32
13 Middle Fjords           28   10   1  17    30   49  −19    31   RELEGATION - WARRIOR
14 Seewatch Club           28    7   4  17    25   44  −19    25   RELEGATION - SENTINEL
15 East Cliff Cove FC      28    6   6  16    22   40  −18    24   RELEGATION - WARRIOR

CIFA League E Warrior        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Blackmill                  27   16   3   8    37   19  +18    51   PROMOTION
 2 Aella Eagles               27   14   8   5    40   27  +13    50   PLAYOFF
 3 AFC Greenbank              27   15   4   8    30   18  +12    49
 4 Lake Hervor FC             27   12   5  10    32   29   +3    41
 5 Riverborne Raiders         27   10   7  10    36   38   −2    37
 6 FC Whitebridge             27   11   4  12    30   34   −4    37
 7 Marble Heights Ascent      27    8   8  11    31   34   −3    32
 8 Chesterfield Club          27    7   7  13    35   39   −4    28
 9 Belland FC                 27    8   4  15    24   37  −13    28
10 Brightway Stargazers       27    5   8  14    25   45  −20    23

CIFA League E Sentinel        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Briarville AFC              27   18   6   3    41   15  +26    60   PROMOTION
 2 Doveport FC                 27   16   4   7    39   24  +15    52   PLAYOFF
 3 Reya FC                     27   12   9   6    42   28  +14    45
 4 Ice Field Bears             27   11  11   5    41   32   +9    44
 5 Fireport Flames             27   11   8   8    37   34   +3    41
 6 Southbeach Sailors          27    8   8  11    36   37   −1    32
 7 Blaora Township             27    8   6  13    24   34  −10    30
 8 Griffin Heights Riders      27    7   5  15    20   31  −11    26
 9 Thenesse Club               27    6   6  15    15   36  −21    24
10 Red Winter Club             27    3   7  17    22   46  −24    16

Aella Eagles 3–1 Doveport FC
Doveport FC 2–1 Aella Eagles
AELLA EAGLES WIN 4-3, RECEIVE PROMOTION TO LEAGUE D

Youth Cordia Football Association     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakeside U19                        28   24   0   4    69   31  +38    72   CHAMPIONS; IFCF RISING STARS CUP
 2 Skalton U19                         28   16   5   7    61   42  +19    53
 3 Mountaineers U19                    28   15   6   7    42   30  +12    51
 4 Danvirk U19                         28   14   6   8    49   32  +17    48
 5 Fjords Combined U19                 28   15   3  10    39   37   +2    48
 6 Jutland Combined U19                28   14   3  11    41   36   +5    45
 7 White River Combined U19            28   11   9   8    36   31   +5    42
 8 Brenville U19                       28   12   4  12    44   42   +2    40
 9 Vik Combined U19                    28   11   7  10    45   45    0    40
10 South Bay U19                       28    8  11   9    39   37   +2    35
11 Meadow Ridge Combined U19           28    7   7  14    34   45  −11    28
12 Icewatch U19                        28    7   7  14    30   45  −15    28
13 Northwest U19                       28    6   5  17    28   49  −21    23
14 Far East Combined U19               28    6   4  18    33   50  −17    22
15 North Vik U19                       28    4   3  21    28   66  −38    15

by **The Cordian Isles** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 12:32 am

CIFA CORDIA CUP

The Cordia Cup is, well... Cordia's cup. It happens at the end of the season, though that is set to change with upcoming editions. At the end of the CIFA season, clubs are put into five pots. The top sixteen are in pot 1, the next sixteen in pot 2, and so on. Pot 5 and 4 teams enter the tournament in Qualifying 1, pot 3 teams in Qualifying 2, pot 2 teams in Final Qualifying, and pot 1 teams in the Cup proper. The Qualifying rounds are reseeded after every round, so that the best remaining team will always play the worst remaining team and so on, while the 32-team Cup proper has a set, single-elimination bracket. All ties are single-match affairs and hosted at the home stadium of the higher-ranked of the two clubs.

Qualifying 1
West Viksee 2–1 Red Winter Club
West Skalton FC 5–1 Brightway Stargazers
North Valley 3–4 Thenesse Club
East Jutland FC 3–0 Griffin Heights Riders
Shining Lake FC 1–3 Belland FC
Silver Club 2–4 Chesterfield Club
Woods Elite 3–5 Blaora Township
Threshers 0–0 Marble Heights Ascent (1–0 AET)
Sporting Red Hill 2–2 Southbeach Sailors (2–2 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Middle Fjords 2–0 FC Whitebridge
Seewatch Club 0–1 Riverborne Raiders
East Cliff Cove FC 1–1 Fireport Flames (2–1 AET)
Briarville AFC 4–3 Lake Hervor FC
Doveport FC 0–3 Ice Field Bears
Blackmill 2–2 Reya FC (4–2 AET)
Aella Eagles 4–2 AFC Greenbank

Qualifying 2
Northshore FC 1–0 Thenesse Club
West Skalton Notes 5–2 Belland FC
South Shore Athletic 1–0 Chesterfield Club
Canby Crescent 4–1 Blaora Township
Standard Creston 1–0 Southbeach Sailors
Northmark Admirals 3–1 Riverborne Raiders
Highlands 3–1 Ice Field Bears
FC Industrial 5–2 Aella Eagles
Bay Yards 2–0 Blackmill
South Beach FC 3–2 Briarville AFC
Midvik Varangians 2–3 East Cliff Cove FC
Salmon Lake FC 0–0 Middle Fjords (1–0 AET)
East Vik Island 4–2 Threshers
Volsung Lake Club 2–0 East Jutland FC
Timber FC 0–1 West Skalton FC
South Point 1–1 West Viksee (3–1 AET)

Final Qualifying
Westwall Stand 2–0 East Cliff Cove FC
Eriksson Icecaps 1–3 West Skalton FC
White River FC 3–1 South Point
Mountainview FC 1–1 Volsung Lake Club (1–2 AET)
East Fjord FC 4–0 East Vik Island
Thetford FC 1–1 Salmon Lake FC (2–2 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Southmont Hawks FC 3–2 South Beach FC
Norport FC 1–0 Bay Yards
Courvale Kings FC 2–1 FC Industrial
Red Hill Smithers 4–2 Highlands
North Courvale FC 1–1 Northmark Admirals (2–1 AET)
North Bay FC 2–0 Standard Creston
West Vik Valkyries 1–1 Canby Crescent (2–1 AET)
South Bay FC 1–0 South Shore Athletic
AFC Korda 3–2 West Skalton Notes
Castle Hill Courage 1–2 Northshore FC

Round of 32
Creston Wolves 1–0 West Skalton FC
Shelter Cove Captains 1–1 Westwall Stand (2–1 AET)
Jutland FC 2–3 North Bay FC
Skalton Harpers 2–2 North Courvale FC (2–2 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Jutland Cannons 0–1 Northshore FC
Lakeshore Hersir 3–2 Southmont Hawks FC
Danvirk FC 2–1 AFC Korda
Thor's Rest Storm 0–0 Norport FC (1–1 AET) (4–3 pen.)
Brenville Blue 3–1 Volsung Lake Club
Channel Point FC 3–6 White River FC
Meadow Ridge Maples 2–2 West Vik Valkyries (2–2 AET) (3–5 pen.)
Vikings FC 2–0 Red Hill Smithers
Cordasfjord FC 4–1 Salmon Lake FC
Valley Fold Vengeance 2–1 East Fjord FC
Gilded City Dragons 3–2 South Bay FC
Icecliff Pack FC 0–1 Courvale Kings FC

Upset of the day goes to C side Northshore, who stifled the Cannons offense and got one past Bergstrin to take the win and advance to the Ro16, the lowest-ranked team to do so. West Vik, a B side facing relegation, took Meadow Ridge all the way to penalties, scoring each one to take the win and advance. Channel Point, in addition to a terrible regular season, wasn’t even close to getting things going in a rivalry game against White River, allowing six goals to their cross-river rival in an objectively terrible showing.

Norport thought they had an upset clinched when they scored with ten minutes to go in extra time. They didn’t figure on a massive attack from Thor’s Rest, bringing eight players forward and putting an incredible amount of pressure on the B side. With three minutes left, they got the tying goal on a cross from Hannah Andersen, headed in by Jarno Simon. Thor’s Rest then won on a last-shot heartbreaker in PKs.

Round of 16
Creston Wolves 1–0 Shelter Cove Captains
Skalton Harpers 3–1 North Bay FC
Lakeshore Hersir 0–0 Northshore FC (0–1 AET)
Danvirk FC 3–3 Thor's Rest Storm (3–3 AET) (4–5 pen.)
Brenville Blue 1–0 White River FC
Vikings FC 3–3 West Vik Valkyries (3–4 AET)
Cordasfjord FC 1–0 Valley Fold Vengeance
Gilded City Dragons 2–0 Courvale Kings FC

Northshore FC, the lowest remaining side, is somehow still in the Cordia Cup. Holding Lakeshore scoreless through 90, in extra time Northshore shocked the league A side with an early goal, from which they couldn’t recover. Lakeshore were hoping to make a Quarterfinal run and perhaps lessen the sting of relegation, but a loss to a C side only seems to make it hurt more.

Thor’s Rest and Danvirk scored 3 goals apiece in a high-scoring shootout, forcing extra time. Nobody scored in the additional 30, so for the second straight game, Thor’s Rest went into penalties. The first three were scored by both sides. Danvirk’s Sjors van Bakel hit the top of the crossbar, missing. Thor’s Rest’s Rasmus Karlssen also hit the crossbar, but this one went down and in for the lead. Lisa Weijers could have won it there for the Storm with a save, but Vladimir Demov scored the final shot for Danvirk, leaving it up to Hannah Andersen to finish it off. No sweat, the goaltender dove left, she shot right, and Thor’s Rest advanced to the Quarterfinals. It was the second time in two games that Andersen had put the Storm on her shoulders and put them through to the next round.

West Vik and Vikings also were tied 3-3 at the end of 90. But a West Vik goal late in extra time left Vikings no time to recover, and West Vik became the last B team remaining in the tournament.

Quarterfinals
Creston Wolves 4–4 Skalton Harpers (4–4 AET) (4–2 pen.)
Thor's Rest Storm 1–2 Northshore FC
Brenville Blue 1–3 West Vik Valkyries
Cordasfjord FC 4–1 Gilded City Dragons

Northshore FC delivered another shock, defeating their third League A team in a row, Thor’s Rest. Northshore haven’t played a home match since Second Qualifying but have still managed to win every match since then in their near-impossible quarterfinal - now semifinal - run. After the match, Storm midfielder and captain Hannah Andersen vented to the press: “It’s ridiculous honestly, especially after the last two wins. It’s frustrating. We should have won that match.” She did not respond to questions concerning rumors of rough contract negotiations with the Storm, with many speculating that she will go overseas after this performance.

Among the upsets was West Vik’s victory over Brenville. Up to this match the soon-to-be-relegated Valkyries had gone to extra time in every match, but against the cream of the crop in Cordia, the Valkyries scored three times in the second half to take the victory. This was certainly not how the Blue wished to end the season, but perhaps they’ll return with a fire next season and in the IFCF.

There was some history in the Skalton-Creston match. Last season Skalton managed to take Creston all the way to penalties after a 2-2 90-minute match. Creston’s keeper, Jordi Jongen, played out of his mind on penalties, saving three out of four to grant the Wolves a quarterfinals berth en route to a championship. Again this time, Skalton managed to take Creston all the way to penalties after a match that saw a lot of back-and-forth play, with the lines of battle usually set by teams’ formations seemingly nonexistent. Creston opened the scoring, but Skalton struck back with two quick goals, both from an elated Perry Oosterhuis, before the scoreboard saw the 30-minute mark. That wasn’t the last word, with the half closing 2-2 after a nice shot from Ine van Dijck high in the box. Cecile van der Zwan opened the second-half scoring off a pass from Machteld Verheij to take a 3-2 lead for Skalton. Arthur Verhulst tied it up with a chip shot over the head of Grietje Berends in the 68th. Skalton struck back, looking for a lead and their first semifinals berth of the new league era. It was Svein McVeld with the go-ahead goal, a blast off another Machteld Verheij pass. With four minutes to go, it was Gertjan Moerman with the heroic goal for Creston, a bar-down header off a Verhulst corner. The extra 30 went scoreless, and Jongen dominated penalties yet again, as for a second straight season Skalton fell to Creston in the Cordia Cup.

Gilded City’s vaunted defense did them little good against Cordasfjord, as the latter scored four times to advance to the semifinals, cutting through the Dragons back line like a knife through butter.

Semifinals
Creston Wolves 2–3 Northshore FC
Cordasfjord FC 0–0 West Vik Valkyries (1–0 AET)

Northshore has done it again. A League C team in the finals. They’re making the entire A League look like a joke. The league champions, Creston, should have been the end of Northshore’s rampage through the cup, but they started out sluggish and the situation didn’t improve for a while, as Northshore put on display their ability to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes with two quick goals, one of the few clubs to punish the A League side this season. Creston finally responded in the second half, with Ine van Dijck and Arthur Verhulst netting a goal apiece, their athleticism showing through as they beat Northshore defenders to through balls and scored on the respective breakaways. But this only served to emphasize Creston’s disjointed play in the offensive half, as they managed only a few shots and no true chances. The climax came in the 80th minute, as a Northshore attacker went down inside the box, drawing a penalty… and scoring the result, a shot that grazed Jordi Jongen’s hands on its way in.
Cordasfjord and West Vik went scoreless through 90, but it was the old man, Alexander Poplawski, who scored the winning goal in extra time.

3PPO
Creston Wolves 0–1 West Vik Valkyries

Five clubs from inside Cordia have bested Creston this season. Three from League A, the other two from the League B/C line. This is not how Creston wished to end their season heading into a Champions League year, competing in both the IFCF and Atlantian Oceania editions. Simply put, it’s an absolute embarrassment to Cordia right as the CIFA is trying to establish itself on the world stage. West Vik, on the other hand, have proven themselves in the Cup and the fear factor alone could be enough to see their promotion back to League B.

Cordian Isles (COR) qualifiers
IFCF Champions League: Creston Wolves
IFCF Challengers Cup: Brenville Blue, Cordasfjord FC, Northshore FC
IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy: Shelter Cove Captains, Westwall Stand, Eriksson Icecaps
IFCF Rising Stars Cup: Lakeside U19
IFCF Cup Winners Cup: Northshore FC
AOCL: Creston Wolves

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Jan 12, 2022 9:55 am

CIHL SEASON 2

MINOR SEASON

CIHL AAA Division          Pld   W   D   L   GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Lakeshore Warriors        18  11   2   5   73   56  +17   24   CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE
2 Jutland Riveters          18   9   4   5   64   47  +17   22
3 Creston Northmen          18   8   4   6   65   56   +9   20
4 Cordasfjord Crusaders     18   9   2   7   48   43   +5   20
5 Thor's Rest Thunder       18   8   3   7   59   56   +3   19
6 Valley Fold Vengeance     18   8   3   7   45   44   +1   19
7 Vikings HC                18   6   3   9   43   59  −16   15
8 Jutland Whalers           18   6   2  10   45   49  −4    14
9 Gilded City Golden        18   6   2  10   41   55  −14   14
10 Red Hill Sappers         18   4   5   9   44   62  −18   13   RELEGATED

CIHL AA Division           Pld   W   D   L   GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Danvirk Wall              18  10   5   3   62   39  +23   25   PROMOTED
2 South Bay Berserkers      18  12   1   5   60   52   +8   25
3 Norport Tsunami           18   9   5   4   53   45   +8   23
4 East Fjord HC             18  10   2   6   56   41  +15   22
5 North Bay Lightning       18   9   3   6   57   37  +20   21
6 Brenville Raiders         18   9   1   8   55   61   −6   19
7 White River Eagles        18   7   1  10   48   56   −8   15
8 Courvale Knights          18   7   1  10   52   64  −12   15
9 Thetford Gulls            18   3   2  13   41   68  −27    8
10 Icecliff Bears           18   2   3  13   36   57  −21    7   RELEGATED

CIHL A Division            Pld   W   D   L   GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Southmont Sky             18  13   3   2   74   49  +25   29   PROMOTED
2 Northshore Ravens         18  10   2   6   60   45  +15   22
3 Shelter Cove Pirates      18  10   1   7   69   55  +14   21
4 Mountainview Typhoon      18   8   4   6   75   66   +9   20
5 HC Silver Lake            18   8   4   6   54   57   −3   20
6 Fireport Inferno          18   7   4   7   49   50   −1   18
7 Channel Point Guardians   18   6   4   8   37   44   −7   16
8 Dynamo Doveport           18   6   4   8   54   66  −12   16
9 Skalton Blues             18   5   2  11   50   59   −9   12
10 North Valley Elite       18   1   4  13   33   64  −31    6

MAJOR SEASON

CIHL AAA Division            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jutland Whalers            72   37  15  20   242  176  +66    89   CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE
 2 Thor's Rest Thunder        72   38  12  22   215  186  +29    88   CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE
 3 Lakeshore Warriors         72   38  11  23   219  160  +59    87
 4 Cordasfjord Crusaders      72   37  13  22   195  155  +40    87
 5 Gilded City Golden         72   38  11  23   206  169  +37    87
 6 Jutland Riveters           72   34  14  24   201  185  +16    82
 7 Creston Northmen           72   25   8  39   186  228  −42    58
 8 Valley Fold Vengeance      72   19  11  42   172  226  −54    49
 9 Vikings HC                 72   18  11  43   173  240  −67    47   RELEGATED
10 Danvirk Wall               72   17  12  43   148  232  −84    46   RELEGATED

CIHL AA Division            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 East Fjord HC             72   42  11  19   228  180  +48    95   PROMOTED
 2 North Bay Lightning       72   40  13  19   223  163  +60    93   PROMOTED
 3 Red Hill Sappers          72   40  11  21   239  167  +72    91
 4 South Bay Berserkers      72   36  15  21   225  175  +50    87
 5 Brenville Raiders         72   34  10  28   224  193  +31    78
 6 White River Eagles        72   25   9  38   169  198  −29    59
 7 Southmont Sky             72   23  12  37   194  231  −37    58
 8 Norport Tsunami           72   21  14  37   180  230  −50    56
 9 Courvale Knights          72   20  14  38   202  262  −60    54   RELEGATED
10 Thetford Gulls            72   16  17  39   166  251  −85    49   RELEGATED

CIHL A Division                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Icecliff Bears               72   40  10  22   214  159  +55    90   PROMOTED
 2 Shelter Cove Pirates         72   38   9  25   229  187  +42    85   PROMOTED
 3 Skalton Blues                72   37   9  26   218  174  +44    83
 4 HC Silver Lake               72   34  10  28   199  187  +12    78
 5 Mountainview Typhoon         72   33  11  28   200  169  +31    77
 6 Dynamo Doveport              72   31  12  29   192  202  −10    74
 7 Northshore Ravens            72   30  12  30   186  188   −2    72
 8 Channel Point Guardians      72   26   8  38   165  210  −45    60
 9 North Valley Elite           72   23   8  41   157  206  −49    54
10 Fireport Inferno             72   19   9  44   153  231  −78    47

PLAYOFFS

QUARTERFINALS

1 Jutland Whalers 4–1 8 Valley Fold Vengeance

Jutland Whalers 8–1 Valley Fold Vengeance
Jutland Whalers 1–5 Valley Fold Vengeance
Valley Fold Vengeance 6–6 Jutland Whalers (6–7 OT)
Valley Fold Vengeance 2–6 Jutland Whalers
Jutland Whalers 7–3 Valley Fold Vengeance

4 Cordasfjord Crusaders 4–3 5 Gilded City Golden

Cordasfjord Crusaders 5–5 Gilded City Golden (5–6 OT)
Cordasfjord Crusaders 3–4 Gilded City Golden
Gilded City Golden 1–2 Cordasfjord Crusaders
Gilded City Golden 8–0 Cordasfjord Crusaders
Cordasfjord Crusaders 3–3 Gilded City Golden (4–3 OT)
Gilded City Golden 1–2 Cordasfjord Crusaders
Cordasfjord Crusaders 1–0 Gilded City Golden

3 Lakeshore Warriors 1–4 6 Jutland Riveters

Lakeshore Warriors 5–1 Jutland Riveters
Lakeshore Warriors 1–3 Jutland Riveters
Jutland Riveters 4–0 Lakeshore Warriors
Jutland Riveters 5–4 Lakeshore Warriors
Lakeshore Warriors 2–3 Jutland Riveters

2 Thor’s Rest Thunder 4–3 7 Creston Northmen

Thor's Rest Thunder 4–3 Creston Northmen
Thor's Rest Thunder 2–5 Creston Northmen
Creston Northmen 4–4 Thor's Rest Thunder (5–4 OT)
Creston Northmen 4–5 Thor's Rest Thunder
Thor's Rest Thunder 2–0 Creston Northmen
Creston Northmen 1–0 Thor's Rest Thunder
Thor's Rest Thunder 3–0 Creston Northmen

SEMIFINALS

1 Jutland Whalers 4–3 4 Cordasfjord Crusaders

Jutland Whalers 1–4 Cordasfjord Crusaders
Jutland Whalers 4–2 Cordasfjord Crusaders
Cordasfjord Crusaders 0–0 Jutland Whalers (1–0 OT)
Cordasfjord Crusaders 7–5 Jutland Whalers
Jutland Whalers 4–2 Cordasfjord Crusaders
Cordasfjord Crusaders 3–6 Jutland Whalers
Jutland Whalers 5–5 Cordasfjord Crusaders (6–5 OT)

2 Thor’s Rest Thunder 2–4 6 Jutland Whalers

Thor's Rest Thunder 4–1 Jutland Riveters
Thor's Rest Thunder 2–3 Jutland Riveters
Jutland Riveters 3–1 Thor's Rest Thunder
Jutland Riveters 0–3 Thor's Rest Thunder
Thor's Rest Thunder 0–1 Jutland Riveters
Jutland Riveters 2–2 Thor's Rest Thunder (3–2 OT)

FINALS

1 Jutland Whalers 2–4 6 Jutland Riveters

Jutland Whalers 1–3 Jutland Riveters
Jutland Whalers 6–1 Jutland Riveters
Jutland Riveters 2–1 Jutland Whalers
Jutland Riveters 5–3 Jutland Whalers
Jutland Whalers 3–3 Jutland Riveters (4–3 OT)
Jutland Riveters 8–2 Jutland Whalers

The Cordian Isles (COR) CHL Qualifiers
Jutland Riveters
Jutland Whalers (rename from Jutland Whales)
Thor's Rest Thunder
Lakeshore Warriors (rename from Lakeside Warriors)

by **The Cordian Isles** » Sun Mar 06, 2022 6:23 pm

CIFA SEASON 3 PREVIEWS

A few things are important to note as the season begins:

The league is realigning this year, from the current six-division format to four divisions of twenty teams. The teams will be separated into leagues based on their performance, so no League A teams will be relegation (they will comprise the top fifteen), while five League B teams will enter the top tier. Ten League C teams will join the remainder. All League D teams will join the five remaining League C teams to form the new League C. The League E teams will remain the same, as they will comprise the bottom twenty.
There will not be a playoff between the second-placed League E teams this season.
The cup will now run for the whole season, rather than being an end-of-season tournament.
The cup will now only seed the top half of the competing clubs up until the Cup proper, at which point the brackets will be set. Unseeded teams will be drawn into a random tie with a seeded team.
Seeding will be determined by the previous season's results.

And a few notes on the already-existing formats:

Leagues A through D comprise 15 teams and will play a double round robin for 30 matchdays and 28 matches, allowing for two byes.
The League E is split into two 10-team divisions and plays a triple round robin (fairness advocates be damned), though this season is basically a throwaway for them so nobody really cares anyway.
The Cordia Cup proper consists of 32 clubs. The top 16 clubs from the previous season qualify automatically. There are three rounds of qualifying. The bottom 32 clubs enter in the first round. The next sixteen plus the winners of the first round enter the second round. The second round winners plus the second-best sixteen enter the third, and final round, from which the winners make the Cup proper. All ties are single-match, moving to extra time and penalty kicks if a decisive result is not reached.

Location: Brenville
Last Season: 2nd
Stadium: Brenville Community Stadium (45,000)
Nicknames: “Royal Lions” when feeling spiffy
Trophies: 1x League A Runners-Up
Style: Highly aggressive both defensively and offensively
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Manager: Erast Utkin (65)
Key Players: S Sebastian Voll, GK Cliff Rouge

Brenville is one of the best teams in the CIFA by far, and has made the IFCF every year since the league began entering clubs. They’re also always one of the most exciting clubs in the league. Their offensive production fell off a bit last season; they’ll be looking to ramp that back up as they make a run for the championship this time. Cliff Rouge has developed admirably and has been named to a reserve slot on the Qasden national team, and of course, Sebastian Voll and Bee Karjalainen play for the Cordian national team.
A bit of depth was added to the club in the transfer window, and Kristina Bay can be expected to pick up a lot of playing time. She’s from the TJUN-ia U21s after all, and will be expected to replace Brandi Newport as starter sometime in the next few seasons. Laura Kensington is more of a we’ll-see type of situation, though she could end up replacing Heikkinen.
Last season, Brenville made it into the IFCF at the last moment. This season, they want to accomplish something more, at least earn some kind of silverware. The fans expect something big to happen in Brenville in the CIFA’s third IFCF season; what they want most of all is some hardware, an actual trophy, and that’s what they’re beginning to expect.

Pos.  First        Last        Age  Depth      Nationality
S     Sebastian    Voll         29  Starter    Cordia
LAM   Brandi       Newport      28  Starter    Cordia
CAM   Callie       Brooke       27  Starter    Cordia
RAM   Magdalene    Simen        25  Starter    Cordia
LCM   Hilmar       Heikkinen    25  Starter    Cordia
RCM   Bee          Karjalainen  29  Starter    Cordia
LB    Kodey        Ranta        21  Starter    Cordia
CB    Milani       Goransson    24  Starter    Cordia
CB    Rhoda        Stark        31  Starter    Cordia
RB    Daniel       Caldwell     21  Starter    Cordia
GK    Cliff        Rouge        21  Starter    Qasden
S     Isak         Salminen     22  Reserve    Cordia
LAM   Kristina     Bay          18  Reserve    TJUN-ia
CAM   Larisa       Johansen     23  Reserve    Cordia
RAM   Paula        Dean         25  Reserve    Cordia
LCM   Laura        Kensington   20  Reserve    The 14 Stars
RCM   Thorfastr    Strange      34  Reserve    Cordia
LB    Dick         Hardin       28  Reserve    Tikariot
CB    Loviisa      Naess        31  Reserve    Cordia
CB    Nia          Rantanen     25  Reserve    Cordia
RB    Jonathan     Primevere    27  Reserve    Tikariot
GK    Lenni        Salmon       28  Reserve    Cordia

Location: Cordasfjord
Last Season: 3rd
Stadium: Cordasfjord Colusseum (60,000)
Nicknames: Red Tide
Trophies: 1x League A Champions, 1x Cordia Cup Champions, 1x Cordia Cup Runners-Up
Style: Balanced, emphasis on passing
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Viktor Prebensen (63)
Key Players: LM Nicholas Eriksen, CM Ophelie Xiao-Villeneuve

Cordasfjord FC is known mostly for one thing, and one thing only: an incredible midfield. That’s a legacy that’s stuck with the club since its founding, and it’s a characterization that still holds true today. The Cordasfjord midfield features its two best players: Nicholas Eriksen, who made quite the impression as a starter on the Cordian NT at the Baptism of Fire, and Ophelie Xiao-Villeneuve, a Quebecois hailing from Cornwall Clippers Academy.
The only change of any significance in the transfer window was the addition of Xiao-Villeneuve, but that’s a big change and it strengthens an already very good midfield in Cordasfjord. Xiao-Villeneuve is expected to start immediately for the club and make an impact. Thankfully for her and Cordasfjord, most CIFA matches are played in the afternoon, to allow the pitch time to warm up, so her notably worse play in the mornings shouldn’t be an issue.
Last season saw a similar situation to Brenville: a clutch last match was the only reason Cordasfjord was able to make the IFCF for a second straight season. Cordasfjord’s fans expect IFCF qualification and title contention at a minimum. The Cordia Cup final loss was very disappointing, so fans will also want the club to put up a good show in the cup this time around.

Pos.  First     Last             Age   Depth      Nationality
S     Elias     Isaksen           28   Starter    Cordia
S     Minna     Rundstron         26   Starter    Cordia
LM    Nicholas  Eriksen           28   Starter    Cordia
CM    Gunnvor   Nieminen          19   Starter    Cordia
CM    Ophelie   Xiao-Villeneuve   18   Starter    Quebec and Shingoryeo
RM    Britt     Alexanderson      31   Starter    Cordia
LB    Isak      Olofsdotter       29   Starter    Cordia
CB    Torunn    Eklund            28   Starter    Cordia
CB    Rosa      Thorirsson        30   Starter    Cordia
RB    Janna     Haraldsen         32   Starter    Cordia
GK    Regine    Ljung             27   Starter    Cordia
S     Nellie    Petersen          22   Reserve    Cordia
S     Kjersti   Koppel            30   Reserve    Cordia
LM    Pilvi     Mathisen          24   Reserve    Cordia
CM    Sigge     Martinsen         27   Reserve    Cordia
CM    Jonas     Eriksen           23   Reserve    Cordia
RM    Ellen     Eriksson          21   Reserve    Cordia
LB    Stig      Svendsen          22   Reserve    Cordia
CB    Ragnhild  Frank             24   Reserve    Cordia
CB    Ulla      Byqvist           30   Reserve    Cordia
RB    Sofia     Simonsson         23   Reserve    Cordia
GK    Frank     Kristoffersen     24   Reserve    Cordia

Location: Creston
Last Season: 1st
Stadium: Creston Community Stadium (25,000)
Nicknames: Wolves. Duh.
Trophies: 1x League A Champions, 1x Cordia Cup Runners-Up
Style: Balanced; fast and dangerous counterattack
Formation: 4-1-2-1-2
Manager: Baard Andreasen (52)
Key Players: AM Haydn Schwartz, S Ine Dijck, GK Jordi Jongen

The Wolves are riding high, coming off a league championship and a Champions League berth. They’re one of the younger clubs in the league, formed when, well before internationalization, the CIFA began expanding out of the Vik regions - where you can find some of the oldest clubs - and into the windswept oceanside of the West Island. The Wolves are always a dark horse: most of the time, they’re not expected to do all that much, but every once in a while, they get a head full of steam and charge into a top place in some competition. The championship and the Season 1 Cup run are perfect examples of this.
Not much happened with Creston in the transfer window; when you don’t have many people to replace and you just won a title, I suppose there’s really no need to fix what works great. The addition of Schwartz adds some young talent, and as he’s already good enough to start, he could be a very, very good player down the road.
There’s nowhere to go but down after winning a title, especially when that title was a bit of a fluke. Pretty much everyone, including Creston fans, acknowledge that a repeat is decidedly unlikely and a regression to the mean decidedly more so, but fans still expect competitiveness, and you’ll likely see them pulling for another shot at the IFCF after they get a taste of the Champions League.

Pos.  First     Last        Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Bram      Horst        24   Starter     Cordia
S     Ine       Dijck        28   Starter     Cordia
AM    Haydn     Schwartz     21   Starter     Zeta Reka and Hugetaldom
LM    Oscar     Bronkhorst   32   Starter     Cordia
RM    Matias    Jokinen      25   Starter     Cordia
DM    Fried     Rossum       24   Starter     Cordia
LB    Eric      Johnson      25   Starter     Cordia
CB    Gerden    Brouwer      21   Starter     Cordia
CB    Martien   Zomer        27   Starter     Cordia
RB    Jorien    Dommelen     21   Starter     Cordia
GK    Jordi     Jongen       24   Starter     Cordia
S     Katja     Albertsen    32   Reserve     Cordia
S     Wiebe     Graaf        31   Reserve     Cordia
AM    Adriana   Bouma        25   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Henriette Schepers     30   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Ernst     Jansson      30   Reserve     Cordia
DM    Hugo      Dam          29   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Helen     Skjeggestad  23   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Oiva      Dahl         21   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Maja      Johannessen  22   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Walter    Fredriksson  27   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Bertus    Oosting      25   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Danvirk
Last Season: 5th
Stadium: The Castle (80,000)
Nicknames: Guardians, Rooks
Style: Balanced; slow attacks build up to dangerous chances
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Marianne Vinter (43)
Key Players: S Markus Schro, RB Vladimir Demov

Danvirk has hung around the League A for a while, occasionally challenging for a top spot or being threatened with relegation, but generally staying in the midtable. Taking inspiration from the legendary Danvirk Castle (the real one, not the stadium) and the stand of its garrison against the Kordan aggressors in the War of Unification, Danvirk fans expect their club to be “stalwarts” and “stand tall”. Whatever that means.
Danvirk added two frees in the transfer window. One, Markus Schroder of Zeta Reka, is regarded as something of a steal and is expected to make an immediate impact for Danvirk. The other, Klara Fernandina, plays for the TJUN-ia U21s at just sixteen, and is expected to be a long-term investment, replacing Marta Rijswijk at LCB when the latter eventually retires. Broadcasters everywhere breathed a sigh of relief: only a few more seasons trying to figure out how to pronounce Rijswijk without sounding like an idiot.
Last season saw a nervous Danvirk club, just off a season where they’d faced relegation in the final match, finish a surprising fifth, and it even looked like they might make the IFCF at one point. Fans really enjoyed that season, and support is higher than ever for Danvirk. With that, fans are expecting the club to at least play nearly as well as it did last season, and are hoping for an improvement, maybe even an IFCF slot.

Pos.  First       Last       Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Markus      Schroder    22   Starter     Zeta Reka and Hugetaldom
S     Willemijn   Kuipers     24   Starter     Cordia
LM    Annemie     Driel       24   Starter     Cordia
CM    Sjors       Bakel       29   Starter     Cordia
CM    Else        Taal        31   Starter     Cordia
RM    Ferdinand   Mul         25   Starter     Cordia
LB    Leen        Schaap      27   Starter     Cordia
CB    Marta       Rijswijk    28   Starter     Cordia
CB    Carolina    Bijl        25   Starter     Cordia
RB    Vladimir    Demov       29   Starter     Cordia
GK    Nicolien    Bosch       31   Starter     Cordia
S     Gemma       Wetering    27   Reserve     Cordia
S     Travis      Humphrey    26   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Machteld    Veenendaal  30   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Mara        Janssens    29   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Elisabeth   Bruggen     31   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Adrie       Lamers      27   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Lex         Berge       26   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Klara       Fernandina  16   Reserve     TJUN-ia
CB    Jonathan    Wolff       24   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Frits       Ouden       24   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Ana         Meulen      29   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Eriksson
Last Season: 3rd in League B
Stadium: Eriksson Watchtower (15,000)
Nicknames: Mountaineers
Style: Very aggressive, puts a lot of players forward, but sacrifices defense on a massive scale to do so.
Formation: 4-3-2-1
Manager: Abraham Einarsson (56)
Key Players: RM Stig Ravn, CB Ukko Pajari

Eriksson are one of the league’s oldest clubs, but they also tend to yo-yo around. That’s probably because they have trouble attracting talent over in Eriksson; there’s not a ton of money floating around there, and the area is nowhere near good enough to justify taking a pay cut to move there. That said, Eriksson does have a nice home advantage in the fact that it’s in the mountains and exceptionally cold, even by Cordian standards. Opposing clubs will have a hard time getting used to the temperature.
Last season, in the League B, Eriksson had one of the best defenses and the best offense. That’s impressive, but it’s a new season and all that counts for naught, especially after being promoted. Eriksson fans are excited for their second trip to the top tier of Cordian football in the IFCF era, but understand that they’re almost certainly going to do badly. Luckily for them, the league realigns this year and they won’t be relegated, no matter how badly they do.

Pos.  First    Last        Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Filip     Andersen    30   Starter     Cordia
AM    Vegard    Kjeldsen    31   Starter     Cordia
AM    Teppo     Ljungborg   27   Starter     Cordia
LM    Felix     Lauritsen   27   Starter     Cordia
CM    Heikki    Arthursson  30   Starter     Cordia
RM    Stig      Ravn        25   Starter     Cordia
LB    Inge      Aberg       24   Starter     Cordia
CB    Ukko      Pajari      21   Starter     Cordia
CB    Aaro      Henriksson  26   Starter     Cordia
RB    Malte     Kristiansen 22   Starter     Cordia
GK    Santtu    Jensen      22   Starter     Cordia
S     Valdemar  Jensen      23   Reserve     Cordia
AM    Erland    Solberg     31   Reserve     Cordia
AM    Artturi   Lang        32   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Pekka     Holst       23   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Magne     Jakobsen    27   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Stein     Hermansson  31   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Alexander Gustavsson  26   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Baard     Spillum     32   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Bernt     Ostberg     29   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Elvar     Lehtonen    20   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Peder     Winter      31   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Gilded City
Last Season: 6th
Stadium: Goldenhill (15,000)
Nicknames: Firebreathers
Style: Very, very defensive with a wide midfield. Focus on stopping attacks high, before they get close to the net.
Formation: 4-4-1-1
Manager: Gudmund Lundstrom (43)
Key Players: S Anton Osterholt, LB Lucia Verkerk

Gilded City is a newer club, funded by the money of the city whose name it bears. Regarded as a bit of a glitzy, star-buying team by the rest of the league, the moniker is probably deserved as the team upgraded its roster in between seasons one and two, and saw immediate results. Perhaps a bit surprising, though, is the Dragons’ strategy. The club plays post-football, the style perfected by Ko-oren and Audioslavia, going by the motto “if they can’t score, they can’t win.” Not exactly the style you’d expect from a club in a place like Gilded City, but hey, it works for them.
The Dragons’ activity in the transfer window isn’t worth noting. They took Mark Abernathy of Brenecia on a free for depth, and that’s about it. One would be surprised that Gilded City didn’t go all-out, but maybe they’ll end up with enough money next season to do something big as the league expands.
Last season, the Dragons placed sixth, a dramatic improvement from eleventh in season one, and they held claim to the league’s best defense, allowing twenty-one goals in twenty-eight matches, while scoring twenty-nine. Anton Osterholt had to carry a lot of the scoring needs of the team on his back, and he’ll get no more help this season than he did last season. Fans are expecting a similar result this season, or even better.

Pos.  First    Last         Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Anton    Osterholt     23   Starter     Cordia
AM    Leontien Wijk          26   Starter     Cordia
LM    Lydia    Vogels        31   Starter     Cordia
CM    Jamie    Dalen         31   Starter     Cordia
CM    Marius   Bouwman       24   Starter     Cordia
RM    Maureen  Broere        26   Starter     Cordia
LB    Lucia    Verkerk       24   Starter     Cordia
CB    Mary     Ham           26   Starter     Cordia
CB    Nelleke  Kooijman      30   Starter     Cordia
RB    Bjorn    Roelofsen     29   Starter     Cordia
GK    Jane     Hendriks      27   Starter     Cordia
S     Corien   Ginkel        31   Reserve     Cordia
S     Justin   Kruithof      30   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Ferry    Maanen        31   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Debbie   Douma         21   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Haakon   Layton        26   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Marc     Zeeuw         30   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Mark     Abernathy     34   Reserve     Brenecia
CB    Drew     Nieuwenhuizen 27   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Tina     Bax           28   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Happy    Headley       22   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Julian   Merchant      30   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Icecliff
Last Season: 11th
Stadium: Icecliff Pack Stadium (25,000)
Nicknames: Frozen North
Style: An aggressive midfield looks to turn the ball around before it reaches the defensive half.
Formation: 4-5-1
Manager: Monika Strand (58)
Key Player: S Lucia Somers

Icecliff isn’t really a newer or older club. The most notable thing about them is their kits, which would have been changed by now had a First Representative a while back, notably a Thor’s Rest fan, not made the kit a National Heritage Symbol and subject to protection by law. The move backfired later on when an Icecliff fan became First Representative and made Thor’s Rest’s also-pretty-bad kit a National Heritage Symbol. The kit itself is notable for being really, really, really bad.
Icecliff’s one transfer window move saw them take Orion Goldsmith of Eastfield Lodge on a free, as a future replacement for Christel Schellekens at CM. Nothing special.
Icecliff had an alright season, avoiding relegation after being promoted, though it was a close run thing as the Pack made it about as close as they possibly could, dropping their last few matches and leaving them in a very vulnerable position. Their fans just hope to avoid another spectacle like that. That’s literally all they want.
(They’ve got it already, considering that they can’t be relegated. But nobody told them that.)

Pos.  First     Last        Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Lucia     Somers       24   Starter     Cordia
LM    Willemijn Rietveld     26   Starter     Cordia
LCM   Joep      Maas         32   Starter     Cordia
CM    Christel  Schellekens  28   Starter     Cordia
RCM   Wieke     Bruin        25   Starter     Cordia
RM    Baukje    Groenewegen  31   Starter     Cordia
LB    Annete    Derks        28   Starter     Cordia
CB    Sacha     Koopman      24   Starter     Cordia
CB    Janny     Verkerk      28   Starter     Cordia
RB    Dagmar    Oorschot     24   Starter     Cordia
GK    Cindy     Joosten      28   Starter     Cordia
S     Corne     Soest        26   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Einar     Saarinen     22   Reserve     Cordia
LCM   Marga     Stoop        35   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Orion     Goldsmith    18   Reserve     Eastfield Lodge
RCM   David     Meer         26   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Sven      Bakel        22   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Marita    Dungen       22   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Adam      Beck         21   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Giel      Vegt         30   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Hemming   Solberg      26   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Desiree   Klaver       26   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Jutland (East)
Last Season: 4th
Stadium: Jutland City Stadium (45,000)
Nicknames: Bombardiers
Style: Decidedly defensive, though a bit squishy. The Cannons will allow shots - they can afford it with Bergstrin - but they focus on not allowing good ones.
Formation: 4-5-1
Manager: Kata Alekseev (52)
Key Players: S Jorie Rounds, RB Redvin Chase, GK Kristin Bergstrin

Cannons is a younger, smaller club than Jutland FC. But it’s also, for the moment at least, a better club after FC’s implosion last season. The thing the Cannons have done best is creating an identify of tough, defensive football, especially in the box. The fans have embraced this, and this identity brings in some solid talent, too: Kristin Bergstrin wouldn’t be here if she didn’t want some extra help in front, and Redvin Chase wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t heard of the Cannons’ physical style, a style he now contributes to as one of the league’s top card-earners.
The Cannons invested in the future in the transfer window, signing two Starsians on frees. Reza Medvedev, an LM out of Blizzard Academy’s U21 program, is set to replace an aging Bertil Jarvi who hasn’t really been a spectacular player for the club, other than just being there on the starting lineup. Also signed was RB Nicole O’Shea, a former Starsian U18 national team player who’s a refreshing future replacement for Redvin Chase. Refreshing because she’s on the opposite end of the foul spectrum from Chase, playing very cleanly, while still being a very good choice at right back.
Last season saw the Cannons again fall short of the IFCF on the final matchday, and again bow out in their first match in the Cordia Cup. The fans want some sort of success, rather than falling short again and again. Taking back the Jutland Derby was a plus, but more than that is expected from such a solid roster.

Pos.  First      Last        Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Jorie      Rounds       24   Starter     Cordia
LM    Bertil     Jarvi        29   Starter     Cordia
LCM   Piper      Eady         32   Starter     Cordia
CM    Memphis    Janson       29   Starter     Cordia
RCM   Erik       Pratt        29   Starter     Cordia
RM    Freyr      Mikaelsson   25   Starter     Cordia
LB    Taimi      Pocock       21   Starter     Cordia
CB    Rozanne    Osborne      29   Starter     Cordia
CB    Hulda      David        32   Starter     Cordia
RB    Redvin     Chase        27   Starter     Cordia
GK    Kristin    Bergstrin    25   Starter     Cordia
S     Hlynur     Stephenson   30   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Reza       Medvedev     20   Reserve     The 14 Stars
LCM   Evy        Wilkie       25   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Duke       Wayne        26   Reserve     Cordia
RCM   Olga       Crouch       33   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Bo         Austin       27   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Leo       Eriksen       24   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Malachi   Statham       25   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Egidijus  Best          21   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Nicole    O'Shea        20   Reserve     The 14 Stars
GK    Kay       Bernsen       26   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Jutland (West)
Last Season: 8th
Stadium: West Jutland Stadium (25,000)
Nicknames: Shipyards, Dreadnoughts
Style: A pretty defensive 4-4-2 that looks to press high and turn an opponent’s attack into its own.
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Evin Goshik (PFA - 41)
Key Players: LM Lucas Oers, CB Frederick Johnson

Jutland FC is an older, storied club, its prestige dating back to the founding of the CIFA well before the sporting internationalization process. More so than the Cannons, this is very much a working-class club. Whereas most cities in Cordia have fewer clubs, and everyone supports the same club, Jutland has several, and the difference between them is class. Jutland FC is based near the shipyards, where it derives its nicknames from and where many of its supporters have connections to. West Jutland is, overall, not a wealthy area, with much of its population working in factories and the like. While Jutland Cannons derive their identity from their play on the field, FC derives their identity from where they come from, and who supports them.
Jutland FC needed to look very busy in the transfer window, and there was definitely a lot of activity on their part. However, four of their five signings were on frees, and only one of those will start for the club this year: Brian Dickens of Tikariot. The biggest signing is that of Allison Ember of the 14 Stars, a left back behind Dickens who will split playing time with him and likely start next season.
Last season was one of the biggest letdowns in Jutland FC history. And this is an old club. They went from league runners-up and IFCF qualified to eighth place. Their old manager’s been fired, replaced with Evin Goshik of Poafmersia. Goshik needs to improve and he’s on the hot seat by default, with a lot of pressure to succeed. Jutland fans just want to see a better performance this season, though if their expectations must be enumerated, they want to cut their place from last season in half or better.

Pos.  First     Last       Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Larissa   Wijk        29   Starter     Cordia
S     Moniek    Wassink     27   Starter     Cordia
LM    Lucas     Oers        25   Starter     Cordia
CM    Frits     Vis         33   Starter     Cordia
CM    Noortje   Nijssen     24   Starter     Cordia
RM    Jeanette  Bakker      33   Starter     Cordia
LB    Brian     Dickens     33   Starter     Tikariot
CB    Connie    Buis        24   Starter     Cordia
CB    Frederick Johnson     25   Starter     Cordia
RB    Aline     Dons        28   Starter     Cordia
GK    Manon     Straten     26   Starter     Cordia
S     Robert    Groenendijk 25   Reserve     Cordia
S     Ramon     Driel       24   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Pamela    Groeneveld  27   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Josie     Winter      26   Reserve     Brenecia
CM    Francis   Ouden       27   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Arend     Bakel       24   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Allison   Ember       18   Reserve     The 14 Stars
CB    Kay       Voortman    33   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Jorrit    Witte       21   Reserve     Cordia
RB    John      Owen        20   Reserve     The 14 Stars
GK    Valeria   Alvarez     18   Reserve     Eastfield Lodge

Location: Meadow Ridge
Last Season: 7th
Stadium: Southeast Maple Center (10,000)
Nicknames: Foresters, Tappers
Style: Very fluid formation-wise, probably the most so in the CIFA. The only real rule is that at least three players will hang back, but to the front of them is chaos.
Formation: 4-4-1-1
Manager: Tomas Isaksen (42)
Key Players: S Ard Donders, CM Ada Baan

The Maples were formed a few years after the CIFA was founded, when the new league began to expand. From there, the Maples were a reasonably successful club, sometimes dropping to the League B but also taking home some silverware. When the internationalization process ended, Meadow Ridge found themselves in the League B as a result of a surprising relegation, and for a while it looked like they might stay there, as they faced injury trouble. But if there’s one thing we found out from watching Meadow Ridge in the first modern CIFA season, it’s that these maple farmers from the ridge have no quit in them. They hung on to that third promotion spot, and the rest is history. Or, not really. It wasn’t that long ago.
The Maples’ one signing in the transfer window was Celio Anchiete of Farfadillis, a future replacement for Ada Baan who will hopefully be able to fill the gap he leaves behind. We don’t know for sure how good he is; all we know is that he played for an amateur club last season, but we don’t know which or even whether he started for them. We’ll see him on the field eventually, I suppose, but until then we’ll have no idea whether Anchiete is a complete flop or a genius move.
Last season was spectacular. The Maples came off a promotion playing spectacular football, and at one point they were challenging for the title. Their fans don’t expect the same this season, though they would like to see an IFCF place. As long as they stay in the high midtable, the fans will be happy. As long as they avoid relegation, the worst the fans could be is moderately disgruntled.

Pos.  First      Last       Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Ard        Donders     29   Starter     Cordia
AM    Mathilde   Lemmens     31   Starter     Cordia
LM    Marita     Wouters     26   Starter     Cordia
CM    Ada        Baan        28   Starter     Cordia
CM    Adriana    Kort        25   Starter     Cordia
RM    Liselotte  Koelewijn   30   Starter     Cordia
LB    Lianne     Smid        31   Starter     Cordia
CB    Gerjan     Aerts       24   Starter     Cordia
CB    Moniek     Snijs       22   Starter     Cordia
RB    Steven     Slotboom    30   Starter     Cordia
GK    Marie      Lier        25   Starter     Cordia
S     Koren      Brouwer     24   Reserve     Cordia
AM    Lenie      Goossens    23   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Atte       Winther     21   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Celio      Anchiete    18   Reserve     Farfadillis
CM    Eelco      Derks       29   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Maartje    Mark        21   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Sjef       Drunen      24   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Torsten    Niemi       28   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Arthur     Partanen    25   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Cornelis   Hoek        26   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Antoinette Kort        24   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Shelter Cove
Last Season: 1st in League B
Stadium: Cove Center (12,000)
Nicknames: Pirates
Style: Aggressive, focus on getting balls into the box, and not shooting from outside.
Formation: 4-3-3
Manager: Margit Alexandersen (65)
Key Players: LW Urban Henriksen, CM Jens Simonssen

*yo-yos majestically*
^ the entire history of Shelter Cove summarized
Since relegation/promotion between the League A and League B was introduced some 40-odd years ago, the Shelter Cove Captains have never stayed in the same league for more than three years. Nobody knows why; some people think their stadium was built on cursed land and that that’s the reason. We’ll never know for sure, for obvious reasons, but there’s a shot that Shelter Cove can break the curse with more teams being added to the league next year.
And yes, the fans expect the Captains to somehow find a way to go back down this season. But they’d also be happy if their home club did something cool this season. Yo-yoing gets pretty boring after a while, but at least they know they’ll get IFCF play in the form of the LBCT every few years.

Pos.  First    Last       Age   Depth       Nationality
W     Urban    Henriksen   24   Starter     Cordia
S     Ukko     Ottosen     23   Starter     Cordia
W     Tapani   Lahtinen    26   Starter     Cordia
LM    Kaleva   Heikkinen   31   Starter     Cordia
CM    Jens     Simonsson   22   Starter     Cordia
RM    Klaus    Lie         23   Starter     Cordia
LB    Isabella Olofsdotter 24   Starter     Cordia
CB    Esther   Korhonen    32   Starter     Cordia
CB    Patrik   Pentti      20   Starter     Cordia
RB    Helga    Winther     30   Starter     Cordia
GK    Evy      Vinter      23   Starter     Cordia
W     Nicklas  Bergfalk    32   Reserve     Cordia
S     Eva      Ingesson    27   Reserve     Cordia
W     Iivo     Carlsen     23   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Truls    Arvidsson   23   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Pekka    Jensson     26   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Sylvi    Bakken      25   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Inga     Grahn       21   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Gudrun   Lind        26   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Rut      Mikaelsson  29   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Snorri   Rapp        28   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Unn      Lindgren    32   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Skalton
Last Season: 9th
Stadium: Cordian Orchestra Stadium (40,000)
Nicknames: Golden Notes
Style: A slow attack focusing on building pressure and finding the perfect opportunity to shoot.
Formation: 4-3-2-1
Manager: Klaus Hansen (55)
Key Players: AM Perry Oosterhuis, CB Sigrid Altena, GK Charlie Barrett

Skalton is home to just about every famous musician in Cordian history, and that culture makes its way into the club, with its logo featuring the harp and its stadium sponsored by the Cordian Orchestra. The stadium itself has some of the best acoustics in the isles (of course), and plays music at just around every remotely logical occasion, a personal favorite being The Box by Roddy Ricch for fouls in the box. Fans will also sing chants with varying degrees of vulgarity depending on how much they hate the opposition, with the most biting insults reserved for Cordasfjord.
The Harpers had a transfer window that can be called… odd. They bought Sylestone NT keeper and Toilet League Golden Glove winner Charlie Barrett in a bid to improve at that position, then turned around and took Brookstation’s Kemal Kimani on a free. Notably, Kimani transferred out of his former club because he wanted to… start… in matches. But now stuck behind Barrett, it doesn’t look like that’ll be happening anytime soon. A waste for Skalton; that was dumb and took a year off Kimani’s career. Granted, it’ll be a year learning from Barrett, but it’s still a year without many starts.
Last season, Skalton didn’t play spectacularly, but improved slightly, with the same points total but more points and a better goal differential. The offense improved dramatically in season two over season one, but the defense got worse in the process. The additions at keeper are supposed to help reduce those goals against numbers. Advancement in the Cordia Cup would be nice, too. Twice in a row, Skalton’s been eliminated by Creston in the cup, twice in a row by penalties, and the fans want something other than depressing cup eliminations. Overall, the fans will take any improvement, especially on defense, and something other than a loss on penalties in the cup, if not a cup win.

Pos.  First     Last           Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Marieke   Spaan           25   Starter     Cordia
AM    Machteld  Verheij         33   Starter     Cordia
AM    Perry     Oosterhuis      27   Starter     Cordia
LM    Annemie   Scheepers       24   Starter     Cordia
CM    Svein     McVeld          29   Starter     Cordia
RM    Erik      Hilhorst        32   Starter     Cordia
LB    Karel     Dokter          31   Starter     Cordia
CB    Sarah     Schipper        22   Starter     Cordia
CB    Sigrid    Altena          27   Starter     Cordia
RB    Maurice   Ras             26   Starter     Cordia
GK    Charlie   Barrett         26   Starter     Sylestone
S     Lasse     Gustafsson      23   Reserve     Cordia
AM    Huub      Kraan           26   Reserve     Cordia
AM    Roope     Jonsson         28   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Saskia    Lieshout        27   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Francisca Engel           25   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Mehmet    Dijke           21   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Malou     Jong            27   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Rune      Alexandersson   20   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Jeanne    Faber           33   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Leo       Korhonen        20   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Kemal     Kimani          20   Reserve     Brookstation

Location: Thor’s Rest
Last Season: 12th
Stadium: The Hand of Thor (45,000)
Nicknames: Thor’s Will
Style: A workhorse midfield will fill in both on offense and defense.
Formation: 3-4-3
Manager: Erling Fredriksson (50)
Key Player: CM Rasmus Karlssen

Thor’s Rest is an older club that used to be among the league’s best. However, a string of deteriorating performances dating back to pre-internationalization, with modern season one excepted, has led to decreasing support and funding. The Thunder are now nowhere near as good as they used to be, and they’re getting worse. With the realignment and no relegation this year, they might have a chance to regroup and stop the trend.
Thor’s Rest… did not have a good transfer window. The club lost Hannah Andersen, by far their best player and one half of their pair in the center midfield, which was one of the best in the league. The remaining half, Rasmus Karlssen, might leave soon if the club continues to be as bad as it has been. The Thunder didn’t sign any international players but added some domestic youth talent, which makes the future look promising if Thor’s Rest can keep them together for the next few seasons.
Not being relegated was a lucky break for Thor’s Rest, as they made it through by goal difference. With Andersen gone, the fans expect nothing this year, and we can’t even say “avoid relegation” because teams aren’t dropping down from the League A this season.

Pos.  First    Last       Age   Depth       Nationality
W     Jarno    Simon       25   Starter     Cordia
S     Alice    Heij        26   Starter     Cordia
W     Nanda    Broekman    24   Starter     Cordia
LM    Oddmund  Nordstrom   26   Starter     Cordia
CM    Rasmus   Karlssen    24   Starter     Cordia
CM    Karen    Hoogendoorn 22   Starter     Cordia
RM    Meike    Bongers     30   Starter     Cordia
LB    Julie    Verheul     28   Starter     Cordia
CB    Terry    Buurman     33   Starter     Cordia
RB    Jan      Schie       27   Starter     Cordia
GK    Lisa     Weijers     27   Starter     Cordia
W     Juan     Brouwer     27   Reserve     Cordia
S     Edgar    Deursen     30   Reserve     Cordia
W     Fatima   Zuidema     24   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Rune     Nyquist     21   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Manu     Albertsen   29   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Edvin    Engstrom    21   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Tobias   Kort        28   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Jorrit   Snij        29   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Herbert  Schaik      26   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Andreas  Dalen       31   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Arno     Nagtegaal   21   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Vik City
Last Season: 10th
Stadium: Vik City Stadium (35,000)
Nicknames: Raiders, Moneyheads
Style: Very stationary, with an emphasis on stretch passes to advance the ball and catch the opponent off-guard.
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Anastas Olofsson (47)
Key Players: CM Henry Smits, RM Angela Bouw

Vikings are part of the multisport organization known as Viksport. Viksport owns teams in every major professional sports league in Cordia, all under the Vikings name. The organization and the team were founded around twenty years ago by Cordian billionaire Richard Carlsen, so it’s overall a pretty new club. However, Carlsen hasn’t put much money into the club so far, preferring to allow it to take its own course as a test of what it would be capable of. That might be due to change soon, if Carlsen is willing to put his fortune into making his clubs successful, starting at the transfer window.
This transfer window saw one signing by Vikings, Devrim Murata, who is a likely future replacement for Henry Smits, though that gap will be hard to fill.
Last season was pretty standard for Vikings, governing around seventh to eleventh for most of it. The fans expect about the same, having lost all hope at this point that Carlsen will put big money into the team.

Pos.  First    Last       Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Ann      Kingma      24   Starter     Cordia
S     Wesley   Wever       30   Starter     Cordia
LM    Stef     Wester      32   Starter     Cordia
CM    Henry    Smits       28   Starter     Cordia
CM    Wiebe    Haas        24   Starter     Cordia
RM    Angela   Bouw        24   Starter     Cordia
LB    Arnold   Hoekman     29   Starter     Cordia
CB    Jennifer Denid       24   Starter     Cordia
CB    Mariette Klomp       29   Starter     Cordia
RB    Dennis   Diepen      32   Starter     Cordia
GK    Daniel   Robben      24   Starter     Cordia
S     Runar    Tennfjord   20   Reserve     Cordia
S     Eddie    Bekker      32   Reserve     Cordia
LM    Armand   Vliet       21   Reserve     Cordia
CM    Devrim   Murata      21   Reserve     Squornshelous Remnant States
CM    Erik     Mathiasen   20   Reserve     Cordia
RM    Kenneth  Danielsen   27   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Hermanni Sundstrom   18   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Jaakkima Johannessen 22   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Emile    Leens       23   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Mandy    Donkers     32   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Tue      Berntsen    20   Reserve     Cordia

Location: Westwall
Last Season: 2nd in League B
Stadium: The Wall (20,000)
Nicknames: Steadfast
Style:
Formation: 3-3-3-1
Manager: Kristina Svensson (48)
Key Players: RDM Tahvo Simonsen

Westwall is another old club that has never really been great. Founded in Westwall, a small city/big town to the west of Danvirk, on the spit of land between the rest of the East Island and the Finger, Stand never really had a big player pool or a ton of money, so they’ve always been one of the better League B teams or worse League A teams. Westwall, similarly to Danvirk, is well known for resisting the Kordan invaders in the War of Unification, thus the club’s name, Stand.
Last season was a good one for Westwall. They managed to get promoted, scored forty goals and won sixteen matches in a very competitive League B where six points separated second and sixth. The promotion was very much well-timed for Westwall, who are now guaranteed two League A seasons and can prepare for a push in next season’s 20-team league. Fans don’t expect much this season, but they do expect some transfer window signings to improve the team.

Pos.  First     Last       Age   Depth       Nationality
S     Kim       Lindqvist   21   Starter     Cordia
LAM   Stefan    Johansen    29   Starter     Cordia
CAM   Mikkel    Kristiansen 31   Starter     Cordia
RAM   Hakan     Norling     30   Starter     Cordia
LDM   Loke      Karstensen  27   Starter     Cordia
CDM   Gregers   Johnsson    26   Starter     Cordia
RDM   Tahvo     Simonsen    22   Starter     Cordia
LB    Alf       Tuominen    30   Starter     Cordia
CB    Thorarinn Bjork       24   Starter     Cordia
RB    Esa       Hagen       22   Starter     Cordia
GK    Ilari     Bager       22   Starter     Cordia
S     Kai       Hall        24   Reserve     Cordia
LAM   Lennart   Olson       28   Reserve     Cordia
CAM   Kare      Stenberg    32   Reserve     Cordia
RAM   Magne     Claesson    26   Reserve     Cordia
LDM   Torgils   Mardh       23   Reserve     Cordia
CDM   Ove       Holmberg    32   Reserve     Cordia
RDM   Eemeli    Koppel      27   Reserve     Cordia
LB    Alex      Axelsson    31   Reserve     Cordia
CB    Tollak    Lundquist   31   Reserve     Cordia
RB    Martti    Andreasson  30   Reserve     Cordia
GK    Ebbe      Gunnarsson  28   Reserve     Cordia

by **The Cordian Isles** » Mon Mar 07, 2022 7:20 pm

Whistles sounded across the Isles, as the first matches of the CIFA season began.

Jutland Cannons opened very well, taking an opening victory in the Jutland Derby, with Kristin Bergstrin securing the clean sheet with some good work in the net. Uncharacteristic draws were present for two of the CIFA’s best. Cordasfjord dropped points against a Westwall side playing its first matches in the League A. Creston Wolves opened their campaign with a match against Vikings that should have been a victory, at least based on last season. But instead, the first points in the books for Creston come from a draw. Jordi Jongen and Daniel Robben played exceptionally in net, holding their opponents to zero goals despite a few solid chances for each.

Gilded City did murder to Shelter Cove’s defense in the West Vik Derby, with Anton Osterholt netting a hat trick, but their normally incredible back line fell by the wayside as they looked for more goals, and Shelter Cove took advantage of that late to make the scoreline look less horrendous. Danvirk scored early in their match against Thor’s Rest and really was the better team for the whole match. But a fluky shot from Jarno Simon evened the scoreline midway through the second half and Lisa Weijers made some solid saves to keep it that way.

Meadow Ridge opened their campaign for the IFCF with an away victory over Icecliff. With no relegation from the League A this season, some of the urgency has left Icecliff’s play following a year that saw them in the relegation conversation late. They allowed a pair of soft early goals in the first half before bouncing back and making it a match with a goal late in the second. Skalton played a tense match with Eriksson but came back from a 1-0 deficit at the half with goals from Marieke Spaan and Perry Oosterhuis.

Brenville opens at home against Cordasfjord… and promptly goes to work. NT starters Sebastian Voll and Bee Karjalainen net a goal apiece and Cliff Rouge, now a reserve for the Qasden NT, made some solid saves to seal the victory. Jutland Cannons were riding high after their Derby victory but were brought back down to earth, losing to a Maples team that continues to surprise, two years after being promoted to the League A.

Creston lets in an early goal and for a while, it looks like a first victory for Westwall. But a spectacular second half turns the loss into a blowout the other way, and Creston looks for all the world like it did last season. Gilded City continues a solid start to the season, clean sheeting Skalton to take home their second victory in two matches. They currently sit on top of the league.

Icecliff prolongs Shelter Cove’s unfortunate welcome to the top tier, managing a clean sheet against a team with some of the most aggressive tactics in the league. Lucia Somers scores late to seal the win. Eriksson sticks it to Thor’s Rest with an away victory that put an exclamation mark on how critical Hannah Andersen was to the club. Karen Hoogendoorn just can’t replace her, and without her it looks to be a rough season for the Storm. Danvirk eked out a win after an intense match against Vikings that went back and forth, with Markus Schro of Zeta Reka scoring the first CIFA goal by a foreigner in the league’s history. Better yet, it was the match-winner.

Brenville takes a second win over the league’s best, this time 3-2 at Creston. Magdalene Simon, Callie Brooke, and Sebastian Voll score, and while the defense wasn’t spectacular, Brenville is a club that cares more about wins than goals allowed. Jutland FC takes their first points of the season via a 1-1 draw with Meadow Ridge. Brian Dickens, the Jutland left back from Tikariot, had a spectacular shot that Marie Lier didn’t anticipate, becoming the second foreigner to score in CIFA history.

Shelter Cove keeps it close, but Cannons played shutdown defense in the last few minutes as the Captains made their push for the draw, and it just wasn’t to be for Shelter Cove as they took their third loss in as many matches. Danvirk got into a shootout with Westwall in the Siege, trading goal for goal. It looked like a loss for the Stand in the 85th minute, but a late shot from Kim Lindqvist snuck past Nicolien Bosch and Westwall walked away with a point.

Eriksson beat Vikings in a high-scoring match, their second victory of the season. They’ve been competitive against some of the mid-to-low League A sides, competitive enough to sit at fifth, but one has to wonder if the newly promoted club’s form will drop off when they play some of the league’s better teams. Gilded City continued a perfect start to the season with a 2-0 clean sheet of Thor’s Rest. The Storm had trouble doing so much as getting the ball to the other side of the field, not to mention getting close to the net. Also, Icecliff drew with Skalton. It was boring. It’s not really worth talking about.

It was an incredibly boring day of football, as rains across the Isles muddied fields, making it damn near impossible to advance the ball, let alone score. Harpers-Cannons, Storm-Pack, and Vikings-Dragons all ended in scoreless draws and aren’t really even worth talking about. Cordasfjord scored twice and extended Creston’s nightmare of a start to the season. The club that had three losses in the entirety of last season is now at two, just four matches into the new one.

Westwall took their first win of the season, 2-1 over an Icecaps club that looked very good over the first three matches. Credit goes to Ilari Bager for a spectacular performance at keeper, including a penalty save early on that would have given the Icecaps the lead and the confidence to possibly take the win. The lone goal she allowed was a result of her slipping on the muddy ground as she went to make a basic save. Brenville was on the receiving end of a clean sheet for the first time this season, and their first loss as well to an undefeated Danvirk side that sits in second place.

Jutland FC traveled to Shelter Cove and, unsurprisingly, dominated the worst team in the league. The Captains have lost every single match this season and allowed eleven goals, a rate of 2.75 per match. Damn.

Brenville has gone from massive scores and wins every match, to low-scoring grinds and losses. This was another of those, as an Eriksson side facing its best competition yet somehow managed a victory despite being well outclassed by the Blue. Brenville just cannot find a way to consistently put the ball in the net; that’s not a sentence anyone in the Isles thought they’d ever hear. It was certainly a good day for the promoted clubs; Westwall upset league-leading Gilded City, handing them their first loss of the season off a Mikkel Kristiansen goal early in the second half. The Dragons were left scrambling but even Anton Osterholt couldn’t pull out a goal. The consolation for Gilded City? They still lead the league; it’s just a lot closer now.

Jutland FC continues to struggle, dropping points to Skalton. The club needs to turn things around; the last season was very rough for them and they can’t take another year like that. Their crosstown rivals beat Thor’s Rest in a high-scoring shootout that would seem contrary to the Cannons’ defensive strategy. However, it worked in the end, Jorie Rounds scoring the winner in the 83rd minute with an absolute blast from inside the box.

Shelter Cove got points on the table for the first time this season, managing a draw with Meadow Ridge. They had the lead early in the first half and gave it up in the second, but nobody really expected them to hold it anyway, and Captains fans were satisfied with the result. Cordasfjord entered the Castle, and Danvirk pulled off another draw. Danvirk hasn’t done anything other than draw at their home stadium, and they did it again. A pretty solid result given that they were playing Cordasfjord, but Danvirk fans are hungry for a home win.

Icecliff hasn’t scored or allowed a goal in three matches. Which is weird. But also pretty fucking impressive.

CIFA League A                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Gilded City Dragons         5    3   1   1     8    3   +5    10
 2 Jutland Cannons             5    3   1   1     7    4   +3    10
 3 Danvirk FC                  5    2   3   0    10    8   +2     9
 4 Eriksson Icecaps            5    3   0   2     9    8   +1     9
 5 Meadow Ridge Maples         4    2   2   0     5    3   +2     8
 6 Skalton Harpers             5    2   2   1     3    3    0     8
 7 Westwall Stand              5    2   2   1     9   10   −1     8
 8 Brenville Blue              4    2   0   2     6    5   +1     6
   Icecliff Pack FC            5    1   3   1     3    2   +1     6
10 Cordasfjord FC              4    1   2   1     7    7    0     5
11 Creston Wolves              4    1   1   2     6    6    0     4
12 Jutland FC                  4    1   1   2     4    5   −1     4
13 Vikings FC                  5    0   3   2     4    6   −2     3
14 Thor's Rest Storm           5    0   2   3     5    9   −4     2
15 Shelter Cove Captains       5    0   1   4     5   12   −7     1

Gilded City is on top, having allowed three goals and scored eight in five matches. A good run for sure, but the Dragons have had one of the easier first five matches and it’ll only get harder from here.

Cannons are second on goal differential, and are riding high having beaten FC in the Jutland Derby.

One point behind is undefeated Danvirk, a club that is far more dangerous on the road than at home. They’ve only won on the road, and only drawn at home.

Eriksson is fourth by goal differential and one of the bigger surprises so far, but they’ve also had a relatively easy schedule other than the last match, a win over Brenville.

Meadow Ridge, also undefeated, continues to perform, sitting at fifth, and tied for first in points per match.

Skalton’s been a bit of a surprise, sitting at a 40% win rate and a just over 50% points rate and seventh in the league.

Westwall, too, has surprising, managing a pair of wins and nine goals in its first five matches in the top level of Cordian football.

Brenville won big in their first two matches of the season, beating the other two IFCF clubs… but dropped off dramatically with a loss to Danvirk and then an even rougher loss to Eriksson. That they’re tied with Icecliff is rather insulting, though nobody’s scored in the last three Icecliff matches, so they’ve earned some points there.

Cordasfjord’s also gotten off to a pretty slow start, with a big loss to Brenville the exclamation point, but draws with Danvirk and Westwall also hurt them some.

Probably the biggest story so far is the fall of Creston. The Wolves have had a pretty tricky schedule, to be certain, losing to Cordasfjord and Brenville, but they’re still matches that last season, the Wolves would have won or at least drawn. This makes the Wolves winning the league look pretty fluky.

Jutland FC’s woes continue, and they dropped the opening match of the Jutland Derby. Ouch.

Vikings, Thor’s Rest, and Shelter Cove haven’t won a match so far this season, combining for six points from fifteen matches, and all of those points coming from draws. These teams are certainly thankful for the lack of relegation this season as the League A expands to 20 clubs.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Mar 09, 2022 7:42 am

Creston continues to struggle, with its third straight loss equalling the number of losses it had in the entirety of last season. It’s Willemijn Kuipers with the winner for Danvirk in the 10th minute, a score that stood for the full match as Danvirk’s defense held off the desperate Wolves attack with authority, and Danvirk holds onto its six-match undefeated streak as they head into a break. Somebody finally scored on Icecliff, and it’s Westwall: the promoted club hit the netting twice as Icecliff’s offense continued to be a nonfactor, having failed to score in the last four matches.

Gilded City managed to stay on top of the table with a 2-1 victory over Brenville, Anton Osterholt receiving some help on the scoresheet from Leontien Wijk, and the Dragons pushed past Brenville as the Blue try to get back to the high end of the table. Jutland Cannons also won, though, and in doing so managed to stay with Gilded City, tied at 13 points apiece. The defensive clubs seem to be dominating the league this year, and their meeting on Matchday 13 looks to be a thriller.

Eriksson scared Cordasfjord shitless, taking a 2-1 lead into halftime. Cordasfjord mounted a comeback, but the message doesn’t change: some of these promoted clubs are dangerous and have to be taken seriously. Skalton went up against Meadow Ridge in a battle of 4th and 5th-place clubs, and it wasn’t close. Skalton closed the half up two goals and it stayed that way for the second half. Skalton moved up a place, taking fourth, while Meadow Ridge tumbled down to eighth. Jutland FC might have their legs back under them, as they managed to come back late from a 2-1 deficit to Thor’s Rest, a Moniek Wassink goal in the 84th giving Jutland the point.

That was a rude way for North Valley to end the defending champions’ cup run.

Icecliff Pack finally scored.

Icecliff Pack finally fucking scored.

And they were so happy that they basically abandoned any idea of defense and went for more goals.

In one of the league’s more exciting matches, a back-and-forth between perpetually high-scoring Brenville and Icecliff, a club that hasn’t scored in four matches, well…

It was great.

Icecliff went from zero goals in the last four matches to five in a single match, and took a win in the process over one of the CIFA’s more consistent IFCF clubs. Jutland FC also delivered a spectacle, scoring four goals and absolutely brutalizing Vikings, who now sit at the bottom of the table with no wins, three draws, and just four goals over seven matches. If Jutland FC want to make a good run of this season, now might be the time to start, a win over Vikings providing the perfect fuel.

In the race for first, there was also news. Gilded City drew with Cordasfjord, a rather unimpressive match between two very good clubs. But Jutland Cannons had a much easier match, playing a Westwall club that, though they’ve been pretty surprising, shouldn’t be able to compete against the better clubs in the long run. And Cannons showed that, scoring twice on an abundance of chances, while Westwall struggled to get a shot off, let alone a goal.

Shelter Cove finally won a match. Granted, it was against Skalton, but Skalton’s been pretty impressive so far this year, and getting points on both the scoreboard and the table is pretty important for a Captains club that hadn’t yet won a match this year. Eriksson lost 2-3 to another top-tier club - if we can still call Creston that, which we’re not entirely sure on - but it’s another intense match that both sides could have won. Eriksson’s performed well over the toughest part of their schedule, a stretch that includes Brenville, Cordasfjord, and Creston, all IFCF clubs last season. Oh and finally, Meadow Ridge beat Thor’s Rest 1-0. It wasn’t that surprising or interesting, but we have to mention it.

It was an exciting day for Cordian football. It was raining goals across the isles, and the last two sides without a victory finally got them. Thor’s Rest won 3-2 over Shelter Cove, not an altogether unsurprising result, and Thor’s Rest led 3-1 until the very end, but it’s the Storm’s first victory and they’ll take it. Vikings actually impressed somewhat, with a victory over Meadow Ridge that saw a 3-3 tie turn into a 5-3 lead for Vikings over the course of about three minutes late in the second half.

The race for first in the league continued. Gilded City clean-sheeted Creston, but could not score themselves and the match ended in a scoreless draw. Meanwhile, Cannons engaged in a shootout with Brenville, who seem to have gotten into an unfortunate habit of allowing five goals per match over the last two days. Cannons came out on top decisively, and the outcome was never in doubt after they established a 4-1 lead midway through the second half. With the win and the Dragons draw, Cannons extend their table lead to four points. Also relevant was Danvirk hosting Eriksson at the Castle. Another shootout on a day that had a lot of them; Eriksson took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute and never lost it, taking it to the end and winning 5-3. Had Danvirk won, they would have moved up into third in the league, tied with Gilded City. But with the victory, Eriksson moves up into the third slot, ahead of Eriksson.

Jutland FC took another step in the right direction with a 1-0 win over Westwall, Moniek Wassink delivering the winning shot in the 56th minute. Icecliff beat Cordasfjord 4-3 in one of the season’s more dramatic matches, as an Icecliff goal in the 90+1’ put the Pack into the lead and tied for third place in the league with twelve points.

The title race took center stage on Matchday 9. Gilded City managed to edge out Danvirk in a match with significant implications for both clubs. Danvirk went up early but couldn’t hold on to the lead, as Anton Osterholt scored twice in the second half to earn the win for Gilded City, and the Dragons soon turned to the Cannons match. They were hoping for a Cannons loss, or even a draw to make up some space. Not to be, as Cannons took a 2-0 lead in the first half and held on for the win, their fifth straight as the club from east Jutland are looking to be unstoppable as the season goes on.

Jutland FC faced some of the stiffer competition on the schedule… though really, Brenville hardly counts as stiff competition at the moment. Anyway, the Blue put them away with ease, 2-0, and many of their fans are hoping this is a step in the right direction, something Brenville needs desperately if they’re going to make so much as the Champions League this season. It hurts a bit for Jutland, who had a chance to jump up in the standings, but there are still twenty matches left to play and plenty of time to make up those missed points. Meadow Ridge absolutely slaughtered Westwall, as the former League B side is looking to make a run to the IFCF after the Maples got a taste of international competition in last year’s LBCT. The Maples definitely have a chance, that’s for sure, especially if they keep playing as well as they have.

Skalton dominated Thor’s Rest. At this point, if you’re not dominating the Storm, what are you doing. Creston beat Icecliff 2-1, a solid win, though any hopes of the Wolves making another run to the title or the Champions League is pretty much gone by now, absent an incredible run. Oh, and Shelter Cove drew with Vikings. The first ten minutes looked like another shootout of the type we’ve seen many times over the past few days. The last eighty were a very boring slog that just wasn’t even remotely interesting to watch.

Two League A clubs enter the fray… and Westwall is immediately knocked out by a League C club, by a score of 3-1. Granted, they’re on a pretty big skid, but still, that one hurts. Eriksson takes an easy win and qualifies for the Cup proper.

Matchday 10; 1/3rd of the way through the season.

The title race has been hot for a while, even though it’s so early in the season. There was more news on that front today. Wolves forced a draw with Cannons, something they definitely needed to get back on track. The one-point result for Jutland left the door open for Gilded City, though for a while it didn’t look like the Dragons would take advantage. Losing 3-2 to the Eriksson Icecaps with fifteen minutes remaining, the Dragons needed goals and they came from an unlikely place: CM Marius Bouwman, who scored twice, a tap in at 75’ and a post-and-in blast at 84’, to give Gilded City the win and make up space in the race for first.

There were two more shootouts on the day - when did this league become so freaking goal-happy. Meadow Ridge defeated Brenville 5-3, the third time in the last five matches that Brenville’s allowed five goals, and to add insult to injury, it was in the Southeast Cup. Though some of it’s on Qasden keeper Cliff Rouge, it’s certainly not all him, as Brenville lacks any players of significance on their back line, and that’s come back to bite them in the first third of the season. The other shootout was a 3-3 draw between promoted sides Westwall and Shelter Cove. Westwall had a 3-1 lead with twenty-five minutes to go, but it disintegrated in the face of a desperate Shelter Cove attack, and Shelter Cove managed a draw while denying Westwall their fourth win of the season.

Jutland FC got points again, in a draw with Cordasfjord. Vikings destroyed Skalton 3-1, with the Harpers’ only goal coming on a desperation time strike from Machteld Verheij. It was Vikings’ second win of the season. Icecliff has been a very surprising club so far, and emphasized that with a win over a Danvirk club that’s also performed at a high level this season. If the Pack can keep it up, good things are ahead.

CIFA League A                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jutland Cannons            10    7   2   1    18    8  +10    23
 2 Gilded City Dragons        10    6   3   1    17    9   +8    21
 3 Meadow Ridge Maples         9    5   2   2    19   15   +4    17
 4 Icecliff Pack FC           10    4   3   3    14   13   +1    15
 5 Skalton Harpers             9    4   2   3    10    8   +2    14
 6 Jutland FC                  9    3   3   3    12   10   +2    12
 7 Creston Wolves              9    3   3   3    12   11   +1    12
 8 Eriksson Icecaps            9    4   0   5    21   21    0    12
 9 Danvirk FC                  9    3   3   3    15   16   −1    12
10 Westwall Stand             10    3   3   4    16   21   −5    12
11 Cordasfjord FC              9    2   4   3    16   17   −1    10
12 Vikings FC                 10    2   4   4    13   16   −3    10
13 Brenville Blue              9    3   0   6    18   22   −4     9
14 Thor's Rest Storm           9    1   3   5    10   17   −7     6
15 Shelter Cove Captains       9    1   3   5    13   20   −7     6

Cannons have played amazingly so far, dropping just seven points in ten matches, a rate that’s reminiscent of last season’s Creston Wolves. A spectacular defense has helped them along the way; eight goals against is tied for first in the league.

Gilded City’s also played very well, sitting two points behind Cannons, and having scored an impressive amount despite their very defensive scheme.

Meadow Ridge has become a top player in Cordian football since their promotion two seasons ago, and with 17 points in 9 matches, they’ve definitely confirmed that so far this season.

Icecliff are one of the bigger surprises of the season, sitting in fourth and - at least for now - threatening for an IFCF spot, a far cry from last season’s eleventh place.

Skalton is another surprise, sitting in fifth after nine matches and a defense that’s tied for the distinction of the league’s best.

Jutland FC has a lot of work to do if they want to accomplish something this season, as they now sit at sixth and are actually on track to earn fewer points than last season. A big switch is needed if the west Jutland side is going to recover from last season’s embarrassment.

Though most experts thought that Creston’s championship was a fluke, nobody expected this. Nine matches in, and Creston has equaled their loss total for all twenty-eight matches from last season.

Eriksson Icecaps are another surprise sitting in the midtable 12-point logjam. They’ve won as many as they’ve lost in their return to the League A, and that’s a good sign for the rest of the season.

Danvirk was riding high in third place, but a bye killed their momentum and they’re looking to get it back. They need to get it back to salvage this season; they’ve lost their last three and coming up is a critical match against Jutland Cannons.

Westwall’s been alright. Nothing much to say here, other than that the defense needs a tune-up, and soon.

Cordasfjord is a disappointment. Just a complete disappointment. They can basically give up on accomplishing anything in the league, and will have to do very well in the cup to balance out the depression.

Vikings are eh. They’re placed higher than Brenville for now, which is interesting…

Brenville… what in the actual hell is going on over there. One of the league’s best clubs has just imploded completely. It’ll be interesting to see if the Blue do manage to get back on track, but we should be able to rule out the IFCF this season. Though Cordasfjord and Brenville have qualified every time, it looks like there’s a new order at the top.

Thor’s Rest is terrible, just like literally everyone expected. The departure of Hannah Andersen hit them hard, and we can expect Rasmus Karlssen to leave at the next opportunity, and at least try to play for a competitive club.

Shelter Cove is equally bad, though that’s apparently what happens when a bad team plays aggressive football. Though somehow, their defense isn’t even the worst in the league.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Mar 09, 2022 6:46 pm

And we open the middle third with a bang. Cannons had a chance to build some separation with a Gilded City bye, but instead allowed a late Markus Schro goal, and the Zeta Rekan lifted his club to a much-needed victory, keeping them well within reach of the league’s upper echelons. Brenville also won, but it was decidedly not a convincing victory over Shelter Cove, more of a whimper as Sebastian Voll essentially carried his team to the three points with a hat trick. The Blue need to get themselves together, desperately.

Jutland FC took a good, hard-fought victory over Creston, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime, extending it to 3-0 early in the second half, then holding onto the lead despite a late onslaught from the Wolves that got a pair of goals but fell short of a comeback. Icecliff took a big win over Eriksson, 5-3, a score that seems to have become fashionable in the League A. The win puts them at fourth in the league and tied with 3rd-placed Meadow Ridge on points. Meadow Ridge themselves drew with Cordasfjord in an exciting back-and-forth that saw four goals in the last thirty minutes, two from each side. That it ended in a draw was a bit anticlimactic, but still pretty exciting nonetheless.

Skalton opened their home match against Westwall firing on all cylinders, with a goal from Marieke Spaan and a lot of high-quality chances. But one shot can change the score, and Westwall scored twice on two shots in five minutes to end the half up 2-1, with Skalton’s momentum completely gone. Skalton tied it up at 58’ on a lucky Alf Tuominen own goal, but nobody really controlled the rest of the match, and it was very choppy. Vikings and Storm drew. Nobody scored. It was boring. Maybe they colluded so that they’d both get points out of the match or something.

Westwall completely obliterated Thor’s Rest. Kim Lindqvist of the Stand opened with a goal, but Jarno Simon of the Storm responded five minutes later, knotting the score at one, and it looked like a match. But Westwall quickly took back control of the match, and scored twice before the first half was over. The second half was just dominance, plain and simple. Westwall could have probably scored more if they felt like it, but they still scored twice to cap an absolutely dominant home victory. Brenville engaged in another shootout, and it was another 4-3 victory, this time at home over Skalton. Edging out wins has given Brenville some new momentum and they’ve moved up to ninth place, with fifteen points.

Cannons absolutely shut down the Icecaps offense, executing their gameplan to the last word. Kristin Bergstrin looked bored, as she was essentially on cleanup duty for some weak shots from outside, basically just there to pad her stats. On the other side of the field, Jorie Rounds and Memphis Janson goals put Jutland up and gave them the win and maintained their lead over Gilded. Speaking of the Dragons, they played a much more intense match against Icecliff, but pulled out the win with some solid goalkeeping from Jane Hendriks keeping the ball out of the net. Meadow Ridge, which has been chasing the top two for some time, fell behind, a late goal from Haydn Schwartz tying it up at 3 to eke out a draw for Creston.

Shelter Cove looked disoriented defensively against Cordasfjord, barely holding on for most of the match. It’s a miracle that Cordasfjord didn’t score more, but at 73’ they finally broke through, an eventually that had been expected for the whole match, and Shelter Cove wasn’t able to fully get their act together and push for the needed goal. Jutland FC allowed a goal two minutes into their match with Danvirk, but scored two unanswered, one at 37’, the other at 52’, to take the win and close the gap with Meadow Ridge as they moved up to fourth in the league.

A day of football that saw some spectacular upsets. Icecliff seems to have put most of their energy into the league, but a 3-0 loss to South Shore has to hurt a bit. Thor’s Rest lost 2-0 to Southmont, which is completely consistent with their season thus far. Creston continues to disappoint following their league championship, dropping 3-1 to North Courvale. Jutland Cannons had a tough match against FC Industrial that went all the way to penalties, Cannons pulling out a lucky win then at home. Danvirk went scoreless through 120 at home against Thetford, edging the visiting side out 5-4 in penalties. North Bay took out Gilded City, the League C team upsetting one of the best League A teams. Ouch.

It’s the match we’ve all been waiting for, and that fans of both clubs had pinned on their calendars. Gilded City had an opportunity to pass Cannons, Cannons had a chance to extend their chokehold on the league. It was ninety minutes of intense football, and when the dust cleared, it was Cannons on top, taking the 1-0 lead and making it a two-match lead over second and a four-match lead over third. Thor’s Rest got shit on again - they lost to Westwall 5-1, then to Southmont 2-0, and now, at home, they lost 8-1 to a resurgent Brenville side.

8-1.
It was sad to watch Thor’s Rest get ripped to shreds like that, honestly.

Eriksson’s been out of the conversation for a while, but are very much back in the conversation with a 3-2 victory at Jutland FC. With fourth and twelfth separated only by three points, a single win at this point in the season is enough to get back into the conversation.

Other than those matches, nothing that crazy happened in the rest of the league. It’s probably just the letdown from a nine-goal match, but still. Vikings drew with Westwall, a 3-3 match that was fun to watch but ultimately disappointing as neither side could crack the opposition’s defense in the last few minutes to get that match-winner. Skalton drew scoreless at home against Cordasfjord in the opening match of the Fjords Derby. Creston came back with a vengeance after being eliminated in the cup, dominating Captains for most of the match and winning 3-1. Danvirk beat Meadow Ridge 2-1 in Meadow Ridge, a hotly contested match that both sides wanted desperately, but Danvirk got the point and returns to the fray.

The race for first saw some interesting results on MD 14. Gilded City was at home against Jutland FC, and for most of the match nobody really got a good chance on net, the match ending in a scoreless draw, a chance wasted for both sides, who wanted more than one point. That left Cannons with an opportunity to extend the lead even further against Icecliff, but they had to fight after an Icecliff goal at the 18’ mark, a beautiful shot from Wieke Bruin. It was Reza Medvedev, subbed on for Bertil Jarvi at the 68’, who earned the point for Cannons. Erik Pratt took a shot; it was blocked but deflected to the Jutland left. Medvedev sprinted in and cleaned it up for the tying goal, and nobody from Icecliff realized what was happening in time.

Also relevant to the title race were Meadow Ridge and Brenville’s matches. Brenville faced off against Vikings, winning 3-1. Brenville’s place in the standings has been boosted by their complete unwillingness to draw matches; they haven’t been equal on goals with a team so much as once. Brenville’s win puts them up at 21 points and fourth place, a far cry from thirteenth and nine points four matches ago. Brenville has won every league match since then, an impressive streak that’s shot them up the table. Meadow Ridge had a bit of a scare against Eriksson, seeing a 4-1 lead drop to a 4-3 lead in the final minutes, but they managed to fend off the Icecaps and were rewarded in the standings, making up some ground on Cannons and Dragons, while staying just ahead of Brenville.

Shelter Cove earned its second victory of the season, a 3-0 bombardment of a Danvirk team that’s struggling to string together points. The win means Shelter Cove moves out of last and into fourteenth, avoiding the bottom spot, which is appropriate considering Thor’s Rest’s -18 GD. Speaking of Thor’s Rest, their defense appears to have gone to absolute shit. Let’s review their last few matches: 1-5 against Westwall, 0-2 against Southmont, 1-8 against Brenville, and now a 4-4 draw at Cordasfjord. With the exception of the loss to Southmont, a League B club, which is special in its own right, the last four matches Thor’s Rest has played have all seen the Storm allow four-plus goals. Also, Skalton beat Creston 2-0. Which apparently doesn’t surprise anybody anymore.

Jutland Cannons had a bye, so it was a great opportunity to make up points for all the teams just behind them in the race. Meadow Ridge and Gilded City played each other; the victor would have a great shot at making up the ground and taking the title…
A 1-1 draw. There’s a video on twii.tur of some Cannons players watching the match on their day off and just laughing madly when it ended. It was the best possible result for them. Westwall hosted a resurgent Brenville, and with a win Brenville would have moved up into third, with a solid 24 points, while Westwall would have leapfrogged four clubs into seventh. But it wasn’t to be; a back-and-forth match ended disappointingly for both sides, a 3-3 draw that saw two goals each for Sebastian Voll and Kim Lindqvist. Thor’s Rest got positively murdered again, this time by Creston. Five goals. Eight goals. Four goals. Six goals. That’s what they’ve allowed in the last four league matches, a total of 23 goals in four matches. Expect to see massive changes on the back and midfield lines for the Storm.

Shelter Cove got a nice win over an Icecaps club that’s lost 6 of their last 7 matches in the league and cup, dropping from competing for the top of the table to trying not to be part of the bottom, and losing to the Captains puts an exclamation mark on that. Danvirk took a 4-3 win over Skalton - with a lot of help from Markus Schroder, the Zeta Rekan netting a hat trick, including a truly spectacular dribble that had three Harpers clutching their ankles in the aftermath. Icecliff went down to Jutland FC by a score of 2-1, Noortje Nijssen scoring the winner for Jutland off a Frits Vis corner. Last but not least, Cordasfjord, who continue to wallow in the midtable, did some damage to Vikings, with three second-half goals turning a match with tinges of hope for the home side into an oh-god-please-just-end-it slog.

CIFA League A                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jutland Cannons            14    9   3   2    26   14  +12    30
 2 Gilded City Dragons        14    7   5   2    19   11   +8    26
 3 Meadow Ridge Maples        14    6   5   3    31   27   +4    23
 4 Brenville Blue             14    7   1   6    40   33   +7    22
 5 Jutland FC                 14    6   4   4    21   17   +4    22
 6 Danvirk FC                 14    6   3   5    27   29   −2    21
 7 Cordasfjord FC             14    4   7   3    27   24   +3    19
 8 Creston Wolves             14    5   4   5    26   23   +3    19
 9 Skalton Harpers            14    5   4   5    20   18   +2    19
10 Icecliff Pack FC           14    5   4   5    21   20   +1    19
11 Westwall Stand             14    4   6   4    29   30   −1    18
12 Eriksson Icecaps           14    5   0   9    32   37   −5    15
13 Shelter Cove Captains      14    3   3   8    23   30   −7    12
14 Vikings FC                 14    2   6   6    17   25   −8    12
15 Thor's Rest Storm          14    1   5   8    19   40  −21     8

If Cannons can keep this form up, they’ll without a doubt win the title. Their defense has been impressive so far, without sacrificing all that much on offense, and it’s doing them a lot of good on the scoreboard.

Gilded City doesn’t sit far behind, and the only reason they’re behind at all has been an inability to turn draws into needed wins. Their defense is, as expected, the league’s best, allowing eleven goals in fourteen matches.

Meadow Ridge has played solid football to make it here, and the Maples could launch a last-half campaign to reach second, or even the title.

Brenville started out terribly, but the last five matches have made up for it and then some, and the Blue are on track to score a full eighty goals this season. They won’t keep that pace up, and they need to help out Cliff Rouge a lot more, but it’s very much a possibility that they challenge for the IFCF again this season. As for the title? We’ll see. A lot of teams have been more complete than them so far this season.

Jutland FC have a chip on their shoulder after last season, and after a shaky start to this season, they’ve rebounded into fifth. But their fans want the IFCF, so there’s more climbing to do for the Dreadnoughts.

Danvirk has fallen from the top, but they’re still about where people expected them to be. They might make another push for the top, but it’s not likely.

Cordasfjord continues to wallow at midtable. Their play this season has been a bit of a disappointment, and they need to start playing much, much better if they want to make the IFCF again this season.

We all now know that Creston’s league title was a fluke. But it still hurts a bit to see them down on the scoreboard and the table so much.

Skalton is on track to improve significantly this season, and the fans are enjoying it. Sitting at 19 points and on track for 38, Skalton continues to take steady steps forward.

Icecliff is also performing pretty well, staying in the mix of things, helped out by the traffic jam that is 19 points right now. They’ve fallen from where they were early in the season, but nobody ever expected them to make the IFCF anyway.

Westwall is playing well for a just-promoted club, boasting one of the league’s top offenses. However, that offense comes at a cost, and their defense is… suspect. They need to shore that up if they expect to compete.

Eriksson has lost a lot of matches since they were up near the top of the table, that’s true enough. But that they were there is impressive and shows that they have the capacity to compete at this level; they just need to be able to do it consistently.

Shelter Cove is among the bottom three clubs that would be relegated if this were a normal season. They sit at just three wins and twelve points. Not much to say, they’re just lucky that they can’t go down this season.

Vikings are tied with Shelter Cove on points… simply by virtue of having drawn six of their fourteen matches. They’ve only won two. Their defense is great, especially for a team in fourteenth, but their offense is the league’s worst and needs to get going - desperately - if Vikings want to keep some of their waning fanbase.

Thor’s Rest is comically terrible. One win. Five draws. The league’s worst defense and its second-worst offense. They need to make some moves in the next transfer window if the biggest club in one of Cordia’s biggest cities is going to stay up.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Mar 09, 2022 6:54 pm

CORDIAN LOWER LEAGUES - MIDSEASON UPDATE

All League D teams will enter the League C next season, hence the lack of pro/rel lines. All League E teams will enter the League D next season, hence the same.

CIFA League B                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 White River FC               14    8   3   3    25   16   +9    27
 2 Southmont Hawks FC           14    6   6   2    21   14   +7    24
 3 Red Hill Smithers            14    7   3   4    27   29   −2    24
 4 Channel Point FC             14    6   5   3    31   25   +6    23
 5 North Courvale FC            14    6   5   3    24   19   +5    23
 6 Thetford FC                  14    6   3   5    27   26   +1    21
 7 East Fjord FC                14    5   5   4    18   16   +2    20
 8 Castle Hill Courage          14    6   2   6    25   23   +2    20
 9 Lakeshore Hersir             14    5   4   5    18   16   +2    19
10 Valley Fold Vanquishers      14    3   9   2    23   20   +3    18
11 Courvale Kings FC            14    4   3   7    14   22   −8    15
12 Mountainview FC              14    3   5   6    28   30   −2    14
13 Northshore FC                14    2   6   6    26   34   −8    12
14 Norport FC                   14    3   2   9     6   13   −7    11
15 AFC Korda                    14    2   5   7    17   27  −10    11

CIFA League C               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 North Bay FC              14    9   3   2    28   13  +15    30
 2 South Shore Athletic      14    8   5   1    26   16  +10    29
 3 Canby Crescent            14    8   2   4    32   21  +11    26
 4 South Beach FC            14    6   5   3    37   31   +6    23
 5 West Skalton Notes        14    6   3   5    33   25   +8    21
 6 West Vik Valkyries        14    6   2   6    19   17   +2    20
 7 South Bay FC              14    5   4   5    23   20   +3    19
 8 Highlands                 14    5   4   5    30   32   −2    19
 9 South Point               14    6   1   7    26   33   −7    19
10 Standard Creston          14    4   4   6    19   26   −7    16
11 Northmark Admirals        14    4   4   6    27   37  −10    16
12 FC Industrial             14    4   3   7    15   17   −2    15
13 Bay Yards                 14    2   7   5    13   18   −5    13
14 Volsung Lake Club         14    4   1   9    24   36  −12    13
15 Timber FC                 14    3   2   9    22   32  −10    11

CIFA League D            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Salmon Lake FC         14    9   4   1    21    8  +13    31
 2 West Viksee            14    9   3   2    22   12  +10    30
 3 West Skalton FC        14    8   2   4    17    9   +8    26
 4 East Jutland FC        14    7   3   4    12    8   +4    24
 5 Midvik Varangians      14    6   5   3    20   13   +7    23
 6 Shining Lake FC        14    6   3   5    22   21   +1    21
 7 Briarville AFC         14    6   2   6    24   24    0    20
 8 Aella Eagles           14    4   4   6     9    9    0    16
 9 Threshers              14    4   4   6     6    9   −3    16
10 Blackmill              14    4   4   6    11   20   −9    16
11 Woods Elite            14    4   3   7     6   15   −9    15
12 Silver Club            14    3   5   6    12   13   −1    14
13 North Valley           14    4   2   8    13   18   −5    14
14 East Vik Island        14    2   5   7    13   19   −6    11
15 Sporting Red Hill      14    1   7   6    11   21  −10    10

CIFA E Warrior               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lake Hervor FC             14    9   4   1    23    7  +16    31
 2 FC Whitebridge             14    8   2   4    20   17   +3    26
 3 Middle Fjords              14    7   1   6    23   15   +8    22
 4 Belland FC                 14    7   1   6    22   28   −6    22
 5 East Cliff Cove FC         14    5   6   3    27   21   +6    21
 6 Riverborne Raiders         14    6   2   6    18   18    0    20
 7 AFC Greenbank              14    5   4   5    24   21   +3    19
 8 Marble Heights Ascent      14    5   2   7    17   22   −5    17
 9 Chesterfield Club          14    4   1   9    15   25  −10    13
10 Brightway Stargazers       14    1   3  10     6   21  −15     6

CIFA League E Sentinel        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Doveport FC                 14    9   2   3    23   16   +7    29
 2 Ice Field Bears             14    6   4   4    20   16   +4    22
 3 Griffin Heights Riders      14    6   4   4    17   15   +2    22
 4 Reya FC                     14    5   6   3    22   16   +6    21
 5 Seewatch Club               14    5   4   5    10    7   +3    19
 6 Fireport Flames             14    5   3   6    17   15   +2    18
 7 Red Winter Club             14    4   5   5     6    9   −3    17
 8 Thenesse Club               14    4   3   7    18   23   −5    15
 9 Blaora Township             14    3   5   6     7    9   −2    14
10 Southbeach Sailors          14    3   4   7    18   32  −14    13

Cordian Y-League A               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakeside U19                   14   10   2   2    33   16  +17    32
 2 Skalton U19                    14    9   2   3    23   14   +9    29
 3 Danvirk U19                    14    7   5   2    26   12  +14    26
 4 Fjords Combined U19            14    7   5   2    26   15  +11    26
 5 Far East Combined U19          14    7   3   4    28   20   +8    24
 6 South Bay U19                  14    6   4   4    24   21   +3    22
 7 Mountaineers U19               14    5   6   3    23   13  +10    21
 8 Jutland Combined U19           14    6   3   5    19   23   −4    21
 9 White River Combined U19       14    5   3   6    17   24   −7    18
10 Brenville U19                  14    3   6   5    16   15   +1    15
11 Vik Combined U19               14    3   6   5    30   32   −2    15
12 Meadow Ridge Combined U19      14    4   2   8    18   26   −8    14
13 Northwest U19                  14    3   5   6    16   29  −13    14
14 Icewatch U19                   14    3   2   9    13   23  −10    11
15 North Vik U19                  14    0   0  14    12   41  −29     0

by **The Cordian Isles** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:38 am

It a match with massive implications for the top of the table, Cannons confirmed their Jutland Derby victory, 2-1, with a 1-0 loss to FC. Not the way to win a derby, but a win nevertheless. However, the loss made an opportunity for the rest of the teams to catch up, and they took full advantage. Meadow Ridge beat Icecliff 3-2, Ard Donders leading a comeback from a 1-2 first-half deficit, scoring twice to give the Maples the win. Meadow Ridge now sits just four points behind Cannons. Gilded City played Shelter Cove to a scoreless draw, making up a bit of ground on Cannons and coming to within a match of them, but not coming as close to the top as they might have with a win.

Vikings took a third win on the season, though it was less to their credit than to Creston’s detriment, less of either club ripping the other’s defense to shreds than the defenses being in shreds to begin with, and it was just generally a shitshow with a lot of scoring that, unlike most high-scoring matches, was not much fun to watch. Westwall, seemingly the masters of high-scoring draws at this point, pulled off another, 3-3 against Cordasfjord, and they’re now officially part of the midtable logjam.

Eriksson took a nice 2-1 win at Skalton, a win they needed, as they’ve been in freefall for a while. Danvirk drew with Thor’s Rest, though not without some controversy as Storm fans thought Annemie Driel was offside as she scored the tying goal in the 72nd minute. It would’ve been a second win for Thor’s Rest, something that should be so easy to reach yet is seemingly too far for the Storm to touch.

Jutland FC’s run in the Cup ended with a 0-1 home loss to B side North Courvale. Going into a bye day in league play, you might have thought that they’d go all in. Apparently not, and North Courvale maks the semis. Also moving on was Southmont, the vanquishers of Thor’s Rest, with a 2-0 home win over fellow League B side Lakeshore. There was a thriller in Brenville, as the Blue looked to advance past Cannons. The teams played to a tie, and an early extra time goal from Sebastian Voll appeared to end it. But Cannons fought back, and Freyr Mikaelsson scored the tying goal with thirty seconds left in the extra period, silencing the home crowd and sending the match to PKs. Riding high after the goal, Jutland dispatched of Brenville with ease, going 3 for 3 while Kristin Bergstrin saved two of the four shots and another hit the post, securing the win for Cannons. The match between Shelter Cove and Skalton was just as exciting, just as intense. Skalton took the lead with five minutes remaining, but couldn’t hold on in the face of a withering Captains attack. In penalties, the teams went shot for shot through the first four. Kaleva Heikkinen hit the fifth shot for Shelter Cove, putting all the pressure on Skalton’s Annemie Scheepers. Her shot went high. She crumpled, face in her hands. Shelter Cove fans and players alike rejoiced. For the third straight season, Skalton left the Cup a victim of the penalty shootout.

It was a big day for the title race, with Cannons playing Meadow Ridge, a chance for the latter to make up a lot of ground, a chance for the former to increase their lead. It was a perfect match for Jutland, Jorie Rounds scoring at 27’ and the Cannons’ shutdown defense confirming the victory. There were a few close calls, but Kristin Bergstrin was on form and handled them well. Gilded City needed a win to stay close after that, but instead found themselves up against a determined Harpers team coming off a PKs loss in the Cordia Cup. Skalton wanted revenge, and they took it, scoring twice in the first half and simply outworking the Dragons for the rest of the match.

Cordasfjord beat Brenville on an Ophelie Xiao-Villeneuve goal at the 38’ mark. The win puts them at fifth in the league and keeps them in the hunt for an IFCF slot. Meanwhile, Brenville slips down to 7th. It’ll take something very special for Brenville to compete for anything, as the Blue sit eleven points back of Cannons. The fans, as you might expect, are very disappoint with how the season has gone, and there have been plenty of calls for new faces in the front office. Vikings managed to force a draw with Danvirk, a late goal granting the Vik City club a point in the race-to-not-be-last.

Eriksson had a winnable match against Thor’s Rest, and they won. Not all that surprising. Interestingly, the Icecaps haven’t drawn a match even once this season. Also, Shelter Cove drew with Icecliff in a matchup of bottom-five sides. Nothing spectacular there.

The big news of the matchday was Cannons’ loss to Shelter Cove. The Cannons walked into the Cove Center expecting an easy win and three points to add to their lead. Instead, Shelter Cove was able to open up the match, like they’ve been trying to do all season, and Jutland did not have an answer for the attack. The match became a shootout, and Cannons came off the worse, forced to abandon their gameplan and play catchup from the 7th minute onwards. Gilded City had an even easier matchup with Thor’s Rest, but unlike Cannons, they executed it to perfection, scoring four goals, with Anton Osterholt netting a hat trick. Gilded City’s defense has been spectacular this season, and continued that trend against the Storm, who never had a real scoring chance.

Meadow Ridge dropped Jutland FC 2-0, making up some of the difference between them and the title. Jutland drops down to fifth with the loss, the eight points between them and the title looking as long as ever, especially with the clubs in front of them stringing a lot of losses together. Brenville might start to be one of those, as a solid 3-1 win at home against Creston puts them ahead of Jutland FC by goal differential, and still, at least theoretically, in range of the title. Vikings were looking for their fourth win at home, and it looked for a while like they’d take it for sure. But the Icecaps mounted a comeback in the second half, two goals from Filip Anderson knotting the score at two. In stoppage time, it was looking like Eriksson’s first draw of the season, but the club would not take it, going on the attack. Felix Lauritsen scored the winner, an absolute bomb of a shot from outside the box that Dani Robben didn’t expect, completing the comeback and the win for Eriksson.

In the second meeting of the Siege, between Danvirk and Westwall, it was another exciting affair, with each side falling behind and seemingly coming back out of the deep. Danvirk scored first, but Westwall, playing at home, seemed inspired by the crowd, and scored twice for the lead. Markus Schroder of Danvirk struck back with a few minutes to go in the first half, and took that momentum into the second. It was Schroder again in the latter half, scoring at the 51’ mark to give the visiting team the lead. It didn’t stay that way. Hakan Norling of Westwall fired one in at 70’, setting the last twenty minutes up for a dramatic struggle.

“The clock ticks past 82, and the score’s still knotted up at three, the Derby score knotted up at six, eight minutes to go.”

“Lundqvist has it, shoots! Saved by Bosch. The ball pops out – AND ITS NORLING PICKING IT UP, AND HE FIRES INTO THE OPEN NET! GOAL FOR THE STAND!”

And Westwall took the Siege for Season 3.

Meadow Ridge had a bye for MD 19, and it hurt them on the standings. Elsewhere in the title race, Cannons scored in each half to take a seemingly effortless win over Skalton, a needed assurance after the 3-4 shock against Shelter Cove. Gilded City also won, 1-0 over Vikings. Their offense looked disjointed, but in Gilded City you can expect any offense to look disjointed, whether it’s because of the nightlife or the defense.

Jutland FC took a 2-0 win over Shelter Cove, Moniek Wassink scoring twice for the Dreadnoughts. The win puts them right into the IFCF race that looked far away even one matchday ago, with the Meadow Ridge bye. On a side note, their defense has to be one of the most underrated groups in the league. They’re tied for second-best on goals allowed, but you never really hear people raving about them like you’ll hear with Gilded City or Cannons. Maybe it’s because the Dragons take it to a whole new level, or that Cannons still score quite a bit while keeping their back line solid, but the Dreadnoughts defense is something that should be talked about more.

Brenville dropped their match to Danvirk, the home side still steaming from their late loss in the Siege, shutting down Brenville’s attack for most of the match, aside from a few chances, while producing chances and eventually goals on the other side of the field. Cordasfjord visited Creston, needing a win to pop back into IFCF contention. A goal early in the second half gave the visitors some hope, but Creston responded a few short minutes later, and instead of a win, Cordasfjord took their league-leading ninth draw of the season. Creston stayed out of the bottom five with the draw, but only just. Goes to show how much lower their expectations are this season.

Thor’s Rest won! Again! They actually did it! Icecliff are now back to where everybody had them, close to the bottom of the table instead of hanging around with the big boys at the top, and the loss to the Storm exemplifies that. Also, we have a first. Eriksson drew for the first time this season, 2-2 with Westwall, despite taking a 2-1 lead into halftime. Mikkel Kristiansen was the final scorer for Westwall, in the 78th minute. Eriksson now sits at seventh, while the point for Westwall keeps them in the midtable logjam that foes from fifth to eleventh, where any team can leapfrog others with just a few points.

Gilded City couldn’t stay close for long. They let in an early goal to Westwall, and though they executed their gameplan almost perfectly for the rest of the match, they weren’t able to tie up the score and ended the match at a loss. It looked like Cannons’ lead wouldn’t be extended, though, as Thor’s Rest took a 3-1 lead over Cannons into halftime. Not to be; Jutland scored three goals unanswered in the first ten minutes of the second half and then proceeded to shut the Storm down for the remainder of of the match for the victory.

Meadow Ridge jumped up into the race with a two-goal win over Shelter Cove, Ada Baan and Mathilde Lemmens scoring for the Maples. There really wasn’t anything spectacular about the match other than that the Maples are now breathing down Gilded City’s neck. Jutland FC’s in there too, with a 1-0 victory at Skalton. Larissa Wijk had the goal, firing a shot from inside the box past the reaching arms of Charlie Barrett. With the win, Jutland FC moves two points behind Gilded City and one behind Meadow Ridge, keeping the IFCF hopes of their fans alive.

Cordasfjord took a win over Danvirk to keep them in that group at midtable. Icecliff defeated Vikings in a battle of low table teams. Both of these were 1-0 affairs, not really that exciting nor that massive in their implications. Brenville beat Eriksson 4-2, a classic high-scoring win for the Blue, who softened up a bit late or else the match would have been 4-1, a far more commanding scoreline.

CIFA League A                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jutland Cannons            19   12   3   4    36   22  +14    39
 2 Gilded City Dragons        19    9   6   4    24   14  +10    33
 3 Meadow Ridge Maples        18    9   5   4    38   30   +8    32
 4 Jutland FC                 18    9   4   5    25   19   +6    31
 5 Brenville Blue             18    9   1   8    48   39   +9    28
 6 Cordasfjord FC             18    6   9   3    33   28   +5    27
 7 Westwall Stand             19    6   8   5    39   39    0    26
 8 Danvirk FC                 19    7   5   7    36   39   −3    26
 9 Eriksson Icecaps           19    8   1  10    43   47   −4    25
10 Icecliff Pack FC           19    6   6   7    25   25    0    24
11 Creston Wolves             18    6   5   7    32   31   +1    23
12 Skalton Harpers            19    6   5   8    23   23    0    23
13 Shelter Cove Captains      19    4   5  10    28   38  −10    17
14 Vikings FC                 19    3   7   9    25   35  −10    16
15 Thor's Rest Storm          19    2   6  11    26   52  −26    12

Cannons have maintained their cushion, but things are close and nothing is certain with ten MDs to go. The one thing the bigger Jutland club cannot afford to do is let up late: they’ll have to play harder than ever to maintain their lead and enter the IFCF and AO Champions Leagues next year.

Gilded City’s been kept at a solid distance by Jutland the entire year without quite gaining enough momentum to take the lead. Their most recent stumble has meant that they can’t say the same for their protection of second place; it’s now a pretty open race where a single mistake will be magnified, mistakes they can’t afford.

Meadow Ridge sits in a pretty good position, one point behind Gilded City with a game in hand, and the Dragons should be scared of this club, especially as the Maples look to be gaining momentum with wins in their last two matches.

Jutland FC is returning from the depths and they probably want the IFCF the most out of anybody in the league, making them a threat from their current position at fourth, one point out of the IFCF.

Brenville’s doing alright, at least better than they were early in the season. Their offense is up to speed, as usual, and Cliff Rouge remains the league’s most battered goalie. He’s had to develop quickly under the strain, but he’s pulled it off and his mental toughness, his ability to shrug off goals allowed, is incredible. It has to be when you play a defensive position for Brenville.

Cordasfjord continues to disappoint, and they’ve been one of the league’s less exciting teams this season, with nine draws in eighteen matches. Ophelie Xiao-Villeneuve has been one of their better players, one of the first foreign players to really shine in this league, but she can’t completely carry the team.

Westwall has exceeded expectations. Not much more to say. While draws for Cordasfjord might be a negative, to a promoted side it’s still points, and Westwall’s done a lot of drawing, with eight on the table.

Danvirk’s still stinging from that loss to Westwall, which not only caused them to lose the first Siege contested in the modern era, but also helped put Westwall ahead of them in the standings. Their goal for the rest of the season is just to place ahead of their rivals to save face; the IFCF and the title seem pretty out of reach for them right now.

In Eriksson is one of the league’s best offenses - nearly on par with Brenville for production, which is saying a lot. However, they have the league’s worst defense, and it’s not close. They need to clean that up to succeed, but whenever they play, people watch because they know it’s going to be interesting football.

Icecliff is still within range of the upper midtable, which would be an impressive result for the club, but it’ll take some work for them to get there.

Creston’s been an incredibly disappointing team, going from the title to the bottom five. Nobody’s happy with the situation in Creston, and they have no chance at the IFCF anymore, eliminated from the cup and nowhere near striking distance of the top three.

Skalton hasn’t really had a spectacularly bad season, and the stress has left without relegation. Their defense is really, really good, too. Only three teams have better, and they’re all in the top four of the table. Part of the reason has to be the addition of Charlie Barrett of Sylestone. While it’s more goals allowed than he’s used to, this is a league that is exceptionally high-scoring, and this season more than most.

Shelter Cove, Vikings, Thor’s Rest. This is the bottom three group. If this season had relegation, these would be the sides almost certainly getting relegated. They’re all bad, but Thor’s Rest is the worst of the bunch, allowing fifty-two freaking goals in twenty matches. High-scoring league, yes. But fifty-two allowed in less than twenty matches is insane.

Meadow Ridge finally eliminates Southmont, preventing an all-League B semifinal. The Maples did make the mistake of many others before them, electing to play most of their subs, and the match was a lot closer for it, but it was still entertaining and Maples came out on top, so who cares. North Courvale took out Vikings, in Vik City. They scored twice in the first half, and though Vikings subbed in some of their first-team players, they couldn’t turn it around. They essentially sacrificed a semifinal berth by playing their second team.
Cannons won over Danvirk with one of the best goals this season, a dribble play from Jorie Rounds that ended with two Danvirk players on the ground, watching helplessly as Rounds netted the goal that would eliminate them, and knowing that it was their fault.
Shelter Cove lived by PKs, and then they died by PKs. This time, Kaleva Heikkinen missed her shot, while Elias Isaksen hit his. And Cordasfjord would move on to the semis.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 6:50 pm

Since the first few days of the season, it’s been Gilded City and Cannons on top, but on Matchday 21, the title race was broken wide open. Gilded City needed a home win over Brenville to keep their stranglehold on the top 2. It was a battle of completely opposite strategies, and the winner would be whichever side imposed their will on the other. In the end, it was Brenville who pulled it off through the sheer force of their attack. There was good news for Blue fans too, though a bit late in the season: Brenville showed depth, with the attacking midfield line contributing massively to the score on a day where Sebastian Voll scored only (“only”) one goal. The loss sent Gilded City into a tie for third and within a one-game reach of sixth. Jutland Cannons were looking for a home win against Vikings, but the bottom-table side rose to the occasion, never giving up even when they fell behind twice. The match ended in a draw at two all, where a win might have boosted Cannons to an unreachable point on a day of chaos at the top of the table. Jutland FC had an even easier match, though against a Thor’s Rest side that had just upset the league leaders, so maybe not quite so easy. Actually, it was pretty easy. Jutland FC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first half, and while it looked like Thor’s Rest might surge back, as an early goal in the second half from Rasmus Karlssen set off a flurry of chances for the Storm, Jutland got through it unscathed and took the win. Those three valuable points allowed them to pass Meadow Ridge and Gilded City and move into second.

Cordasfjord stayed near the action with a 4-2 win at Eriksson. It was an exciting match, the teams trading goals in the first half and ending at 2-2. Two goals in the second half, from Ophelia Xiao-Villeneuve and Minna Rundstrom, separated Cordasfjord and gave them the win they needed. Meadow Ridge engaged in a shootout with Skalton, and looked to be the side on top, taking a 4-2 lead with twenty-nine minutes left on a Mathilde Lemmens strike. But a surge from the Harpers created a series of chances, and Skalton managed to score once, and then leveled the score when a Steven Slotboom foul sent Marieke Spaan to the penalty mark. The draw put Meadow Ridge into a tie for third with Gilded City, but they wanted a win, a win that would have put them up into second. As for Skalton, they were just happy to pick up the points.

Danvirk drew with Creston 1-1. There really wasn’t much to talk about. Also, Icecliff picked up a win over Westwall, 3-2. Normally, we’d mention it just based on the scoreline. But it was a crazy day, so nikinobody really cares.

There was even more insanity at the top on Matchday 22. Cordasfjord’s generating some excitement, having languished in the high midtable for a while. They hosted a Gilded City side that dropped down on MD 21 from the position they’ve held for more than half the season so far. The match wasn’t pretty, but it was close. The first half ended tied at one, and in the second half, the teams both doubled down and played even harder, resulting in more fouls but not more goals. Nicholas Eriksen broke the stalemate at the 80 minute mark with an absolute bomb from just outside the box, straight into the top right corner. With the win, Cordasfjord moves into fourth, one point away from second, while Gilded City drops even further, from second to sixth in one matchday. Jutland FC, another recently resurgent club, faced an away match at Vikings, a team that hasn’t done well this year but defeated Cannons on MD 21. Jutland came in confident, but endured ninety minutes of hell and came out with their tail between their legs and another loss on their record, to one of the league’s worst teams. Cannons went into Westwall looking for points to take advantage of the chaos, but for the second match in a row couldn’t hold on to leads and left with one point from a 2-2 draw.

Brenville hosted Icecliff, winning predictably, 4-2. The win keeps them close to the top of the table, and Brenville looks to be gaining momentum at just the right time. There’s reason for Cannons fans to be a bit nervous now, despite the team’s seven-point cushion. Thor’s Rest upset Meadow Ridge, 1-0 in a slog reminiscent of Vikings’ victory over Jutland FC. Meadow Ridge, facing the league’s worst team, came in overconfident, but struggled to score against Thor’s Rest and showed cracks in their defense that the Storm exploited, happily taking the victory and the points.

Creston beat Eriksson 1-0, another relatively irrelevant match between teams that can’t hope to challenge for the title. Skalton also drew 4-4 with Shelter Cove. Another match where the scoreline might have made it significant, but was overshadowed by the chaos at the top of the table.

Another matchday, more chaos. This is beautiful.

The biggest match of the day was Cannons hosting Brenville. A win for either side would have been massive in the title race. Instead, the sides played each other to a 2-2 draw, neither able to hold on to a lead. Cordasfjord visited Icecliff, where a win might have lifted them to second in the league, and dominated the match, but just couldn’t finish, just couldn’t put the ball in the net. There was also Jutland FC, which hosted Westwall, needing a win to lift itself above the mess at 34 points. Instead, an early Kim Lindqvist goal, just three minutes in, sapped their energy and their attack never quite got going.

Gilded City is still in the mix, but falling pretty quickly. A 4-4 draw with Creston highlights this, as a match that saw the club’s very identity - its spectacular defense – dissolve as the Dragons tried desperately to score a goal and pretty much forgot entirely about their defense. The draw kept them level on points with the group from third to sixth, but the team looks ready to fall even further the way they’re playing. Meadow Ridge wanted a win over Vikings to stay near the top, but found themselves unable to crack a club that has done some damage to the league’s best over the last few matchdays.

Thor’s Rest drew with Shelter Cove 3-3. And nobody cared. Danvirk beat Eriksson 4-2, and slightly more people cared.

It’s almost like the scorelines are a cry for help from some of these low and midtable teams. “Help! Look at me!” It’s just not interesting when there’s no relegation battle to be had.

More interesting matches came in on MD 24, though there was somewhat less chaos.

Brenville hosted Jutland FC, both sides wanting a win to say competitive in the breakaway group that’s formed in the top six. Jutland FC went up at 26’ on a Lucas Oers goal, and the half ended that way. But in the end, it was Brenville that took the victory, Sebastian Voll and Brandi Newport scoring in the second half to take the win. The victory puts Brenville in second, and within striking distance of Cannons. Cannons, for their part, scored three goals in the first half against Cordasfjord before letting up and focusing on defense. With the win, they do manage to maintain their seven-point lead on the rest of the pack. Meadow Ridge visited Westwall needing a win to keep up, and they got one with two Ard Donders goals in the second half giving them the separation. The Maples now sit in third, two points ahead of fourth, so there’s a bit of a cushion forming between the IFCF and the other places.

Gilded City did manage a point with a 2-2 draw against Danvirk. But again, the team is getting away from its defensive identity and it really had to strain to pick up that point. It would be surprising if Gilded City were to continue to do as they’ve done of late and maintain that spot, let alone reclaim a spot in the IFCF. Icecliff went up to Creston needing a win to stay close to the breakaway group, and they got one on a Joep Maas penalty. They sit three points back of Jutland FC and Cordasfjord in fifth and sixth.

Vikings drew with Shelter Cove. Nobody really paid attention. Thor’s Rest drew with Skalton, scoreless. Even fewer people paid attention.

Cannons were looking for a win to extend their lead when they hosted Creston. Instead, they couldn’t get the ball forward and Kristin Bergstrin made an uncharacteristic mistake in goal, giving the Wolves a 1-0 victory. Meadow Ridge and Brenville played each other in a match with significant implications for the title race, as well as being a derby match. The sides played to a 1-1 draw, a bit disappointing after MD 10’s 5-3 Meadow Ridge victory in Brenville. But the Maples claim the Southeast Cup and the point was needed. Gilded City defied the dire predictions of nearly everyone, playing shutdown defense against one of the league’s best offenses while converting on the other end of the field to take the 2-0 victory. The win puts them tied with Meadow Ridge on points, and still well within striking distance of the IFCF.

Jutland FC and Cordasfjord played in Jutland, a match with big implications for the title race. Cordasfjord took a 2-1 lead into halftime, only to see it tied up at the 56th minute on a Jeanette Baker strike. Nicholas Eriksen would be the hero, heading in a Gunnvor Nieminen corner in the 86th for the victory. The win keeps Cordasfjord in the running for an IFCF slot, though still slightly behind. Icecliff is making itself relevant, a win over Danvirk putting them up at 34 points, just four out of the IFCF. Icecliff making the IFCF, though still very unlikely, would be a major coup.

Skalton clean-sheeted Vikings and Charlie Barrett made some impressive saves en route to a 1-0 victory for the Harpers. Shelter Cove beat Westwall, also 1-0, in a battle of promoted sides. With the win, Shelter Cove moves past Vikings into (checks notes) 13th, though it’s completely irrelevant anyway.

CIFA League A                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jutland Cannons            24   13   6   5    45   29  +16    45
 2 Brenville Blue             23   12   3   8    60   45  +15    39
 3 Meadow Ridge Maples        23   10   8   5    47   38   +9    38
 4 Gilded City Dragons        24   10   8   6    33   25   +8    38
 5 Cordasfjord FC             23    9  10   4    42   36   +6    37
 6 Jutland FC                 23   10   4   9    33   28   +5    34
 7 Icecliff Pack FC           24    9   7   8    32   31   +1    34
 8 Creston Wolves             23    8   7   8    39   37   +2    31
 9 Danvirk FC                 23    8   7   8    43   45   −2    31
10 Westwall Stand             24    7   9   8    45   48   −3    30
11 Skalton Harpers            23    7   8   8    32   31   +1    29
12 Eriksson Icecaps           23    8   1  14    47   58  −11    25
13 Shelter Cove Captains      23    5   8  10    38   47   −9    23
14 Vikings FC                 24    4  10  10    31   41  −10    22
15 Thor's Rest Storm          23    3   8  12    32   60  −28    17

Cannons sit on top with five matchdays to go, holding on to their lead. Six points might seem hard to make up in five matches, but given that a lot of teams have a match in hand, Cannons fans shouldn’t celebrate yet.

Brenville, Meadow Ridge, Gilded City, and Cordasfjord are all within two points of each other, fighting for two IFCF slots between them. They’re all in pretty much the same situation: a good run will see them in the IFCF, a bad run will see them out. Everybody has a few things to clean up if they want to pull it off, too.

Jutland FC and Icecliff share the same points total, but very different stories. Jutland’s been unceremoniously thrown out of the IFCF race by a few points dropped, and their supporters are pissed, for good reason. Icecliff, on the other hand, is far outperforming expectations by being a few points behind the IFCF group, and overall people have been pleasantly surprised by their performance this season. A good run on their part might see them competing for an IFCF spot, but it’s unlikely.

Creston, coming off a dominant title run, has disappointed massively this season, and it hasn’t gotten any better as the season’s progressed. If anything, things have gotten even more depressing for the Wolves.

Danvirk has also disappointed this season, and with IFCF and title hopes gone, all they want is a bit of revenge by placing above Westwall in the final table.

Skalton’s defense remains solid under the stewardship of Charlie Barrett. They’ve won almost as many as they’ve lost this season, and the supporters will accept that.

Eriksson is… weird. Their aversion to draws has meant that they’ve acquired more points than some teams with fewer losses. But the Icecaps have fourteen losses to their name to just eight wins, and their supporters would still rather have a draw than a loss.

Shelter Cove, Vikings, Thor’s Rest. These clubs remain at the bottom of the barrel. We’ll see what they do when they have lower-tier prey when the league realigns. In the meantime, they’re just going for Cordia Cup seeding next year.

Meadow Ridge had a relatively easy semifinal matchup with North Courvale at home, playing a mix of first and second-team players to take the victory and advance to the semifinals. They played hard until a 16th minute goal by Ard Donders, and focused on defense from there, keeping North Courvale at arm’s length for the victory.

By contrast, Cannons and Cordasfjord faced a tough matchup in each other. Cordasfjord took an early lead, silencing the home fans, and Ophelie Xiao-Villeneuve added to it in stoppage time to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. Despite a Jorie Rounds goal that added some drama to the match, Cordasfjord held on to take the victory and advance to the finals - a chance for even more silverware for one of the CIFA’s most-honored clubs.

Here we go on the final stretch; MD 26.

In an intriguing match that served as a preview of the Cordia Cup final, Meadow Ridge scored twice in the first ten minutes before Cordasfjord was able to get their legs under them. The result does some serious damage to Cordasfjord’s chances of making the IFCF through the league, so the cup looks like it’ll be their best chance. That said, they have four matches left on their schedule. There’s plenty of time. With the win, Meadow Ridge opens up some distance between themselves and Gilded City, who had a bye. Brenville hosted, and demolished, Shelter Cove, scoring three second-half goals. The win gives them some breathing room to stay in the IFCF, and it also allows them to make up some space on Cannons. Cannons drew with Danvirk, 2-2. Apparently they feel like making things more exciting, as they fell behind late in the second half on a strike from Erik Pratt only to knot things back up a minute later.

Jutland FC crushed the former champions, Creston, 4-1, and in Creston no less. The Dreadnoughts dominated the match start-to-finish, and the victory makes sure that they don’t fall too far out of IFCF contention. As for Creston, the loss hurts, and serves as an exclamation mark on a season where they’ve been beaten down again and again. Icecliff is making things very interesting, a 5-1 away destruction of Eriksson putting them in sixth place and keeping them at a place where they could really make a run to the IFCF. It’s unlikely, but it remains feasible for the Pack.

Skalton took a 2-1 win over Westwall. There isn’t much point left other than next season’s Cordia Cup season for either club; the five-point difference between seventh (Cordasfjord, 37) and eighth (Skalton, 32) will be hard to make up. Vikings also drew with Thor’s Rest, an even more comic way for the two sides to manage not to win a match.

Meadow Ridge cleanly took care of Creston, a fairly easy victory. The goals came from Mathilde Lemmens and Ada Baan, serving to highlight the depth the Maples have on offense, with goals regularly coming from as far back as the midfield. That depth has been critical thus far to Meadow Ridge’s run, and it will remain so if they’re going to make a run for the title, as they look poised to do. Elsewhere, Brenville was looking for a win at Creston. Instead, defensive breakdowns cost the Blue a win they needed to stay close to Cannons in the title race. Speaking of Cannons, the Jutland club faced Eriksson at home. The match was an intense back-and-forth, Eriksson punching well above their weight with three goals, but in the end, Piper Eady netted the winner and Cannons took the three points they needed. If Cannons win both of their remaining matches, there is no chance of them being caught. They face Gilded City next - earlier that would have been a marquee matchup, but Gilded City’s fallen too far - followed by Icecliff at home to round out the schedule. Neither match will be an easy win, but if anyone can finish strong enough to secure the title, it’s Cannons.

Icecliff broke through Gilded City’s vaunted defense at home, Lucia Somers netting both goals for the Pack as they fight to remain in the hunt for the IFCF. That’s right, there’s still a chance for Icecliff, though with two matches remaining for them, it’s unlikely. Congratulations to them on the massive improvement over last season; that they’re relevant is a good sign for the club’s future. Jutland FC took the win over Danvirk, another loss in the latter’s campaign,. Danvirk has promised improvement for a long time but hasn’t yet delivered; the bye days seem to curse them, and the more superstitious among their fanbase will be happy for the removal of bye days with next season’s format.

Cordasfjord took a pretty basic 1-0 victory over Shelter Cove; the scorer was Elias Isaksen. Thor’s Rest did manage a win, at home against Westwall. It’ll be interesting to see if the Storm can find the motivation to try and make it out of the cellar, though with a last three schedule that includes Brenville, Cordasfjord, and Creston, the Three Horsemen of the IFCF, if they can take any points in the last stretch it’d be a major accomplishment.

All eyes were on Gilded City for the match between the Dragons and the Cannons. With a win, Gilded City would save some face against the team that had dominated league play for the entire season, while keeping the IFCF feasible. A win for Cannons would allow them to keep control of their own destiny. In the end? Well, it looked like a dominant win for Gilded City, as they went up 2-0 with two first-half goals within five minutes of each other. But Cannons roared back in the second half, Jorie Rounds scoring twice to knot the score at two apiece at the seventy minute mark. What followed was high-intensity, back-and-forth football of the best and most exciting kind. In the 81st, Maureen Broere let off a massive shot from out wide; it hit the far post and bounced in, putting Gilded City up for good. Cannons went into a frenzy, but it wasn’t enough, and Anton Osterholt was able to pick up a through ball and go in for a fourth score, and a 4-2 victory for Gilded City.

Meadow Ridge played pretty well in a 4-2 win over Danvirk. Nothing all that special; a few chances went their way and they took the three points. The win puts the Maples in control of their own destiny; if they win the remainder of their matches, they’ll take the title. A 2-1 home victory for Brenville was a bit too close for comfort, but with the Cannons loss it doesn’t look so bad, and if Brenville wins out they can overtake Cannons for at least second. Jutland FC is still in the IFCF hunt. It would take at least four points and a healthy measure of luck for the Dreadnoughts and first-year manager Evin Goshik to make it to the world’s premier club competition, but it remains a serious possibility. With a 5-2 win over Eriksson, Jutland FC kept themselves, at worst, in the conversation for one more matchday.

Cordasfjord and Skalton ended the Fjords Derby with scoreless draws in both matches, and neither team is happy with that. Especially Cordasfjord, who might have stayed in the IFCF conversation with a win. It’s still possible, but it would be a surprise to literally everyone if Cordasfjord were to qualify again via the league. The cup still remains, though, and because of that if Cordasfjord manage to place in the top four they’ll have a good shot at an IFCF spot even if they lose (Cordia Cup winner qualifies to the Challengers Cup. If the winner already is qualified, the fourth-placed league team qualifies). Westwall passed Danvirk with a win over Vikings. Danvirk fans were sad. Nobody else noticed.

Vikings FC 1–2 Brenville Blue
Thor's Rest Storm 1–4 Cordasfjord FC
Skalton Harpers 0–2 Creston Wolves
Shelter Cove Captains 2–2 Danvirk FC
Meadow Ridge Maples 2–0 Eriksson Icecaps
Jutland FC 1–0 Gilded City Dragons
Jutland Cannons 1–0 Icecliff Pack FC

Cannons needed a win over Icecliff to stay on top. They got it, Jorie Rounds scoring. Meadow Ridge and Brenville needed victories to stay in the title race; they each got them, though Vikings surprised Brenville by playing hard and the outcome was never certain. The wins set up a final-match fiasco that will be fun to watch. If Meadow Ridge wins, then they claim the title just two seasons after promotion. If they lose or draw, and Brenville wins, then one of Cordia’s more successful league clubs, the Blue, will finally claim the title for the first time in the modern era.

As for the rest, it’s just Jutland FC competing for an IFCF spot, needing to win big at Icecliff and needing Brenville to lose big against Westwall if they’re going to make it in. Not exactly likely, but anything can happen.

Westwall remains ahead of Danvirk going into the final matchday, on GD. That’s about it for interesting things.

MD 30 Matches to Watch:
Jutland FC @ Icecliff Pack FC: IFCF Watch, Jutland needs a blowout
Meadow Ridge Maples @ Gilded City Dragons: Title Watch, Jutland needs a win
Skalton Harpers @ Danvirk FC: Rivalry Watch: Danvirk needs two-goals-better result than Westwall

CIFA League A                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jutland Cannons            28   15   7   6    54   38  +16    52
 2 Meadow Ridge Maples        27   14   8   5    57   40  +17    50
 3 Brenville Blue             27   15   4   8    70   50  +20    49
 4 Jutland FC                 27   14   4   9    44   31  +13    46
 5 Cordasfjord FC             27   11  11   5    47   39   +8    44
 6 Gilded City Dragons        27   11   8   8    37   30   +7    41
 7 Icecliff Pack FC           27   11   7   9    39   33   +6    40
 8 Creston Wolves             27    9   8  10    42   43   −1    35
 9 Skalton Harpers            27    8  10   9    36   36    0    34
10 Westwall Stand             27    8   9  10    50   53   −3    33
11 Danvirk FC                 27    8   9  10    49   54   −5    33
12 Shelter Cove Captains      27    5  10  12    41   54  −13    25
13 Eriksson Icecaps           27    8   1  18    53   74  −21    25
14 Vikings FC                 27    4  11  12    35   48  −13    23
15 Thor's Rest Storm          27    4   9  14    36   67  −31    21

Meadow Ridge visited Gilded City needing a goal but couldn't find the back of the net in an intense match that saw chances for both sides. But that wasn't the news of the day:

Brenville.

Won.

The.

Title.

Yet again, the last matchday spelled heartbreak for Cannons fans, who needed both Meadow Ridge and Brenville to drop points in order to maintain the place at the top of the table they've held since the beginning. With two goals in the first half, Brenville made it very clear that they were out to win a title, and they found the back of the net again in the second half to confirm it, with a desperate Meadow Ridge going scoreless. Brenville claimed its first IFCF era title and Champions League berth.

Cordasfjord lost to Vikings, not what you want to happen right before the Cordia Cup finals.

CIFA League A                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Brenville Blue             28   16   4   8    73   50  +23    52   CHAMPIONS; IFCF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
 2 Jutland Cannons            28   15   7   6    54   38  +16    52   IFCF CHALLENGERS CUP
 3 Meadow Ridge Maples        28   14   9   5    57   40  +17    51   IFCF CHALLENGERS CUP
 4 Jutland FC                 28   15   4   9    45   31  +14    49
 5 Cordasfjord FC             28   11  11   6    48   41   +7    44
 6 Gilded City Dragons        28   11   9   8    37   30   +7    42
 7 Icecliff Pack FC           28   11   7  10    39   34   +5    40
 8 Danvirk FC                 28    9   9  10    52   55   −3    36
 9 Creston Wolves             28    9   8  11    42   44   −2    35
10 Skalton Harpers            28    8  10  10    37   39   −2    34
11 Westwall Stand             28    8   9  11    50   56   −6    33
12 Vikings FC                 28    5  11  12    37   49  −12    26
13 Shelter Cove Captains      28    5  11  12    45   58  −13    26
14 Eriksson Icecaps           28    8   2  18    57   78  −21    26
15 Thor's Rest Storm          28    5   9  14    37   67  −30    24

There's just one match left to play.

Cordasfjord gets some more silverware to add to its collection, and will enter the IFCF for a third straight season. The match itself was exactly what you'd want in a Cup final: close, something that could've gone either way.

CIFA League B                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 White River FC               28   17   5   6    54   36  +18    56   PROMOTED; LBCT
 2 East Fjord FC                28   12   9   7    49   36  +13    45   PROMOTED; LBCT
 3 Red Hill Smithers            28   13   6   9    49   50   −1    45   PROMOTED; LBCT
 4 Valley Fold Vanquishers      28   10  14   4    51   41  +10    44   PROMOTED
 5 Lakeshore Hersir             28   12   8   8    37   28   +9    44   PROMOTED
 6 Southmont Hawks FC           28   11  11   6    46   41   +5    44
 7 Channel Point FC             28   11   9   8    61   53   +8    42
 8 Thetford FC                  28   11   6  11    55   52   +3    39
 9 Courvale Kings FC            28    9   8  11    33   38   −5    35
10 Mountainview FC              28    9   7  12    54   58   −4    34
11 North Courvale FC            28    9   5  14    51   60   −9    32
12 AFC Korda                    28    7  10  11    43   52   −9    31
13 Northshore FC                28    5  13  10    50   60  −10    28
14 Norport FC                   28    8   3  17    19   29  −10    27
15 Castle Hill Courage          28    7   4  17    33   51  −18    25

CIFA League C               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 South Shore Athletic      28   16   8   4    52   30  +22    56   PROMOTED
 2 West Skalton Notes        28   15   6   7    64   40  +24    51   PROMOTED
 3 North Bay FC              28   15   5   8    48   27  +21    50   PROMOTED
 4 South Bay FC              28   13   6   9    48   38  +10    45   PROMOTED
 5 Canby Crescent            28   13   5  10    54   43  +11    44   PROMOTED
 6 South Beach FC            28   12   8   8    65   59   +6    44   PROMOTED
 7 Northmark Admirals        28   11   9   8    51   57   −6    42   PROMOTED
 8 West Vik Valkyries        28   11   6  11    40   39   +1    39   PROMOTED
 9 Highlands                 28    9   8  11    53   60   −7    35   PROMOTED
10 Standard Creston          28   10   5  13    44   53   −9    35   PROMOTED
11 South Point               28    9   5  14    40   59  −19    32
12 Timber FC                 28    9   4  15    42   54  −12    31
13 FC Industrial             28    8   6  14    27   37  −10    30
14 Bay Yards                 28    4  12  12    21   32  −11    24
15 Volsung Lake Club         28    7   3  18    46   67  −21    24

CIFA League D            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Salmon Lake FC         28   14  10   4    39   19  +20    52
 2 West Viksee            28   15   6   7    48   30  +18    51
 3 East Jutland FC        28   13   9   6    21   12   +9    48
 4 Midvik Varangians      28   11  12   5    31   22   +9    45
 5 West Skalton FC        28   11   9   8    33   26   +7    42
 6 Briarville AFC         28   11   7  10    44   45   −1    40
 7 East Vik Island        28   10   8  10    38   29   +9    38
 8 Threshers              28   10   8  10    18   23   −5    38
 9 Blackmill              28    9   7  12    21   30   −9    34
10 Woods Elite            28    8   9  11    20   33  −13    33
11 Aella Eagles           28    8   8  12    20   26   −6    32
12 Silver Club            28    7  10  11    33   30   +3    31
13 Shining Lake FC        28    7  10  11    36   49  −13    31
14 North Valley           28    6   9  13    24   35  −11    27
15 Sporting Red Hill      28    2  14  12    24   41  −17    20

CIFA E Warrior               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 East Cliff Cove FC         27   15   6   6    72   38  +34    51
 2 Lake Hervor FC             27   13   9   5    37   26  +11    48
 3 Belland FC                 27   15   3   9    44   38   +6    48
 4 FC Whitebridge             27   13   5   9    31   31    0    44
 5 Middle Fjords              27   11   5  11    42   35   +7    38
 6 AFC Greenbank              27   11   5  11    38   34   +4    38
 7 Marble Heights Ascent      27   11   5  11    38   39   −1    38
 8 Riverborne Raiders         27   10   7  10    38   41   −3    37
 9 Brightway Stargazers       27    5   5  17    18   44  −26    20
10 Chesterfield Club          27    4   4  19    18   50  −32    16

CIFA League E Sentinel        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Reya FC                     27   14   7   6    59   30  +29    49
 2 Doveport FC                 27   14   5   8    49   36  +13    47
 3 Ice Field Bears             27   14   5   8    40   31   +9    47
 4 Seewatch Club               27   13   4  10    25   16   +9    43
 5 Griffin Heights Riders      27   12   7   8    34   29   +5    43
 6 Fireport Flames             27    9   9   9    41   37   +4    36
 7 Blaora Township             27    6  11  10    16   25   −9    29
 8 Thenesse Club               27    8   4  15    33   48  −15    28
 9 Red Winter Club             27    6   8  13    12   28  −16    26
10 Southbeach Sailors          27    6   6  15    31   60  −29    24

Cordian Y-League A               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakeside U19                   28   16   9   3    67   41  +26    57   IFCF RISING STARS CUP
 2 Danvirk U19                    28   15  10   3    60   35  +25    55
 3 Fjords Combined U19            28   14  10   4    54   29  +25    52
 4 South Bay U19                  28   14   7   7    43   34   +9    49
 5 Skalton U19                    28   14   5   9    49   40   +9    47
 6 Jutland Combined U19           28   11   9   8    46   44   +2    42
 7 Mountaineers U19               28   10  11   7    38   30   +8    41
 8 White River Combined U19       28   10   9   9    34   38   −4    39
 9 Far East Combined U19          28   10   6  12    45   40   +5    36
10 Brenville U19                  28    8  10  10    35   33   +2    34
11 Meadow Ridge Combined U19      28    8   4  16    36   49  −13    28
12 Vik Combined U19               28    6  10  12    51   65  −14    28
13 Northwest U19                  28    7   7  14    32   49  −17    28
14 Icewatch U19                   28    6   4  18    32   56  −24    22
15 North Vik U19                  28    3   5  20    25   64  −39    14

OOC Note: Yeah, the end of this season was pretty low-effort, and I definitely didn't do justice to the drama in the last few matchdays. My bad; teenage procrastination. However, now that everything I need to write a good season is in place, I'll hopefully do some better writing in the upcoming seasons.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Sun Mar 27, 2022 9:41 am

Cordian Isles Hockey League

The format was amended this season; the playoffs have gone from an eight-team, best-of-7 affair to a sixteen-team, double-elimination tournament that takes all ten AAA teams and the top six AA teams.

Minor Season

CIHL AAA Division            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cordasfjord Crusaders      18   11   3   4    67   47  +20    25    CHL QUALIFIED
 2 Jutland Whalers            18   10   3   5    75   49  +26    23
 3 Jutland Riveters           18    9   3   6    61   58   +3    21
 4 Gilded City Golden         18    7   5   6    57   50   +7    19
 5 Thor's Rest Thunder        18    7   3   8    49   47   +2    17
 6 Lakeshore Warriors         18    6   5   7    55   57   −2    17
 7 Creston Northmen           18    5   7   6    56   68  −12    17
 8 Valley Fold Vengeance      18    7   2   9    52   57   −5    16
 9 East Fjord HC              18    5   4   9    48   66  −18    14
10 North Bay Lightning        18    4   3  11    42   63  −21   11    RELEGATED

CIHL AA Division            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Red Hill Sappers          18   13   2   3    68   42  +26    28    PROMOTED
 2 White River Eagles        18    8   5   5    63   52  +11    21
 3 Vikings HC                18    9   3   6    58   51   +7    21
 4 South Bay Berserkers      18    9   3   6    62   57   +5    21
 5 Danvirk Wall              18    9   1   8    53   41  +12    19
 6 Norport Tsunami           18    9   1   8    57   55   +2    19
 7 Icecliff Bears            18    7   4   7    39   42   −3    18
 8 Southmont Sky             18    6   3   9    45   51   −6    15
 9 Brenville Raiders         18    4   4  10    53   68  −15    12
10 Shelter Cove Pirates      18    2   2  14    26   65  −39     6    RELEGATED

CIHL A Division                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Mountainview Typhoon         18   12   1   5    60   39  +21    25    PROMOTED
 2 Skalton Blues                18    8   6   4    56   53   +3    22
 3 Thetford Gulls               18    9   3   6    59   38  +21    21
 4 North Valley Elite           18    8   3   7    53   57   −4    19
 5 Northshore Ravens            18    7   4   7    54   42  +12    18
 6 Channel Point Guardians      18    8   1   9    49   58   −9    17
 7 Courvale Knights             18    7   2   9    50   48   +2    16
 8 Fireport Inferno             18    7   2   9    39   43   −4    16
 9 Dynamo Doveport              18    6   2  10    43   60  −17    14
10 HC Silver Lake               18    4   4  10    45   70  −25    12

Major Season

CIHL AAA Division            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cordasfjord Crusaders      72   41  10  21   281  208  +73    92    CHAMPIONS; CHL QUALIFIED
 2 Lakeshore Warriors         72   35  14  23   231  185  +46    84    CHL QUALIFIED
 3 Jutland Riveters           72   35  12  25   223  211  +12    82
 4 Thor's Rest Thunder        72   35  10  27   233  200  +33    80
 5 Jutland Whalers            72   34  12  26   223  196  +27    80
 6 Creston Northmen           72   33   8  31   198  209  −11    74
 7 Gilded City Golden         72   27  17  28   201  197   +4    71
 8 East Fjord HC              72   20  13  39   178  230  −52    53
 9 Valley Fold Vengeance      72   19  14  39   166  227  −61    52    RELEGATED
10 Red Hill Sappers           72   20  12  40   169  240  −71    52    RELEGATED

CIHL AA Division            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 South Bay Berserkers      72   42   9  21   242  180  +62    93    PROMOTED; PLAYOFFS
 2 Vikings HC                72   37   9  26   226  185  +41    83    PROMOTED; PLAYOFFS
 3 North Bay Lightning       72   38   7  27   221  180  +41    83    PLAYOFFS
 4 Danvirk Wall              72   34  12  26   216  177  +39    80    PLAYOFFS
 5 Southmont Sky             72   33  14  25   203  199   +4    80    PLAYOFFS
 6 White River Eagles        72   31  10  31   207  213   −6    72    PLAYOFFS
 7 Brenville Raiders         72   27  15  30   188  206  −18    69
 8 Norport Tsunami           72   21  15  36   196  229  −33    57
 9 Mountainview Typhoon      72   21  13  38   167  208  −41    55    RELEGATED
10 Icecliff Bears            72   19  10  43   159  248  −89    48    RELEGATED

CIHL A Division                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Courvale Knights             72   40  13  19   241  168  +73    93    PROMOTED
 2 Skalton Blues                72   39  11  22   217  169  +48    89    PROMOTED
 3 Thetford Gulls               72   37  15  20   205  187  +18    89
 4 Northshore Ravens            72   28  16  28   187  178   +9    72
 5 Shelter Cove Pirates         72   28  14  30   194  180  +14    70
 6 HC Silver Lake               72   31   7  34   202  210   −8    69
 7 Dynamo Doveport              72   26  10  36   185  225  −40    62
 8 Fireport Inferno             72   25  11  36   191  219  −28    61
 9 North Valley Elite           72   24  10  38   185  224  −39    58
10 Channel Point Guardians      72   26   5  41   164  211  −47    57

Playoffs

After the Cordians' spectacularly terrible performance in the CHL Group Stage, which featured the three Cordian teams combining for two wins in eighteen games, as well as other reasons, the CIHL has decided to do away with the minor season next year. A CIHL spokesperson said that the change would "allow for a higher standard of play to be achieved both domestically and abroad by CIHL teams." The qualifying spot previously reserved for the minor season champion will go to the playoff runners-up.

As the regular season qualifiers finished 1-2 in the playoffs, the third and fourth-placed teams from the major season qualify to the CIHL. Also, the Cordasfjord Crusaders accomplished this season the last treble in CIHL history.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Fri Jun 10, 2022 4:23 pm

CIFA League A - Season 4

Brenville Blue
Location: Brenville
Last Season: 1st
Stadium: Brenville Community Stadium (45,000)
Nicknames: “Royal Lions” when feeling spiffy
Trophies: 1x CIFA Champions, 1x CIFA Runners-Up
Style: Highly aggressive both defensively and offensively
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Manager: Toril Jarvinen
Key Players: S Sebastian Voll, GK Cliff Rouge

Brenville is one of the best teams in the CIFA by far, and has made the IFCF every year since the league began entering clubs. They’re also always one of the most exciting clubs in the league and sure to engage in many of the CIFA’s high-scoring matches in any given season. Cliff Rouge has developed admirably (as he needs to, as he can expect to be bombarded constantly with shots) and has been named to a reserve slot on the Qasden national team, and of course, Sebastian Voll and Bee Karjalainen play for the Cordian national team.
This transfer window saw Brenville take significant action to beef up its midfield. They picked up Kalfat’ Kakedo of the Efnakian national team from SH Hodu for three-quarters of a million, which many in the football community consider a steal. They then sold Magdalene Simen to Skalton, replacing her with Brividi Farfalle out of the Qasden National Academy on a free. These moves continue to build up a deep and powerful midfield for the Blue, one to maybe even rival Cordasfjord’s.
Brenville picked up at the end of the season and took advantage of a few stumbles from Cannons to take their first-ever CIFA Championship. This season, they return with an even stronger roster bolstered by international signings, making them the favorite to take home the Championship for a second consecutive season. They’ll also be looking to make a deeper Cordia Cup run than they have before, with the last ended in the Round of 16 by Cannons in one of the season’s best matches.

Cordasfjord FC
Location: Cordasfjord
Last Season: 5th
Stadium: Cordasfjord Colusseum (60,000)
Nicknames: Red Tide
Trophies: 1x CIFA Champions, 2x Cordia Cup Champions, 1x Cordia Cup Runners-Up
Style: Balanced, emphasis on passing
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Nils Makela
Key Players: LM Nicholas Eriksen, CM Ophelie Xiao-Villeneuve

Cordasfjord FC is known mostly for one thing, and one thing only: an incredible midfield. That’s a legacy that’s stuck with the club since its founding, and it’s a characterization that still holds true today. The Cordasfjord midfield features its two best players: Nicholas Eriksen, who made quite the impression as a starter on the Cordian NT at the Baptism of Fire, and Ophelie Xiao-Villeneuve, a high-caliber Quebecois still in her teens.
Like Brenville, Cordasfjord made some big moves to bolster its roster in the transfer window. The first was to sign Kemal Kimani from Skalton, giving Cordasfjord a legitimate talent at keeper. The next two were college signings: Fayaz Nayar-Lehri of Brench in Zwangzug and Yefim Stepnaov of Staramara Tech in Chromatika. Both serve to boost a back line that, though solid, has been pretty lackluster.
Last season was a disappointing one for Cordasfjord fans. The Red Tide just never seemed to get going as much as they needed to, and were punished for it on the table, placing fifth and failing to make the IFCF through that route. However, the Cordia Cup was a bright spot, as Cordasfjord won to qualify for the IFCF and add even more silverware to its significant trophy case, the largest of any CIFA team. This season with an improved defense, expect Cordasfjord to make a run for the title.

Creston Wolves
Location: Creston
Last Season: 9th
Stadium: Creston Community Stadium (25,000)
Nicknames: Wolves. Duh.
Trophies: 1x CIFA Champions, 1x Cordia Cup Runners-Up
Style: Balanced; fast and dangerous counterattack
Formation: 4-1-2-1-2
Manager: Marje Losnedahl
Key Players: AM Haydn Schwartz, S Ine Dijck, GK Jordi Jongen

The Wolves are one of the younger clubs in the league, formed when, well before internationalization, the CIFA began expanding out of the Vik regions - where you can find some of the oldest clubs - and into the windswept oceanside region of the West Island. The Wolves are always a dark horse: most of the time, they’re not expected to do all that much, but every once in a while, they get a head full of steam and charge into a top place in some competition. The championship and the Season 1 Cup run are perfect examples of this.
Creston were primarily sellers rather than buyers in the last transfer window, but they did make one big purchase: John Parkinson, something of a controversial footballer over in Saint Eleanor whose career was on the verge of ending. Wolves are giving him a second chance and it remains to be seen how he responds.
Following up a league championship, to expect ninth place would have been pretty pessimistic for the Wolves, but that’s what happened. The Wolves didn’t do a ton over the transfer window, suggesting that the management is somewhat resigned to the midtable at least for now. Parkinson could be a player to keep an eye on to see if he rebounds to the form of his younger days.

Danvirk FC
Location: Danvirk
Last Season: 8th
Stadium: The Castle (80,000)
Nicknames: Guardians, Rooks
Style: Balanced; slow attacks build up to dangerous chances
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Ella Solberg
Key Players: S Markus Schroder, RB Vladimir Demov

Danvirk has hung around the League A for a while, occasionally challenging for a top spot or being threatened with relegation, but generally staying in the midtable. Taking inspiration from the legendary Danvirk Castle (the real one, not the stadium) and the stand of its garrison against the Kordan aggressors in the War of Unification, Danvirk fans expect their club to be “stalwarts” and “stand tall”. Whatever that means.
Some big moves from Danvirk over this transfer window look to give the team a very good shot to improve on a middling 8th place last season. First is the signing of teenage national teamer Mo Kacceo of Efnakia, which gives Danvirk a very solid anchor for its back line. Second is Kang Goo-Seong of Quebec's Montreal Koreana Academy, another seventeen-year-old to add to Danvirk’s younger signings who is going to be an upgrade to Danvirk’s midfield, which is solid but lacking in true talent. Another major roster move is the replacement of Marta Rijswijk with Klara Fernandina in the expected starting lineup, meaning Danvirk will start three teenagers on MD 1.
Expectations were pretty high after last season’s fifth-place finish and Danvirk never really had a chance to match them, finishing eighth. This season is an intriguing one for Danvirk, where the big x-factor is their youth movement, which might need more time to develop or be ready to go at the first whistle; we’re just not sure.

Eriksson Icecaps FC
Location: Eriksson
Last Season: 14th
Stadium: Eriksson Watchtower (15,000)
Nicknames: Mountaineers
Style: A rather open playstyle focused on moving the ball quickly, with players rarely holding on to possession for long.
Formation: 4-3-2-1
Manager: Joni Larsen
Key Players: RM Stig Ravn, CB Ukko Pajari

Eriksson are one of the league’s oldest clubs, but they also tend to yo-yo around. That’s probably because they have trouble attracting talent over in Eriksson; there’s not a ton of money floating around there, and the area is nowhere near good enough to justify taking a pay cut to move there. That said, Eriksson does have a nice home advantage in the fact that it’s in the mountains and exceptionally cold, even by Cordian standards. Opposing clubs will have a hard time getting used to the temperature.
Eriksson sold U21 national teamer to Vikings and all they got was a caveman from Skalton.
Eriksson played alright early on in the season last year but fell off around the end to finish fourteenth. They did manage eight wins, more than several clubs ranked above them, but tended to fall hard on their face and take losses rather than draws, which set them up for failure. They effectively downgraded in the transfer window and only made 200K off it, so expect another pretty bad season out of the Icecaps.

Gilded City Dragons
Location: Gilded City
Last Season: 6th
Stadium: Goldenhill (15,000)
Nicknames: Firebreathers
Style: Very, very defensive with a wide midfield. Focus on stopping attacks high, before they get close to the net.
Formation: 4-4-1-1
Manager: Tuula Albertsson
Key Players: S Anton Osterholt, LB Lucia Verkerk, GK John Gildea

Gilded City is a newer club, funded by the money of the city whose name it bears. Regarded as a bit of a glitzy, star-buying team by the rest of the league, the moniker is probably deserved as the team upgraded its roster in between seasons one and two, and saw immediate results. Perhaps a bit surprising, though, is the Dragons’ strategy. The club plays post-football, the style perfected by Ko-oren and Audioslavia, going by the motto “if they can’t score, they can’t win.” Not exactly the style you’d expect from a club in a place like Gilded City, but hey, it works for them.
Dragons lost Jane Hendriks to Rozelle Alliance of Brenville, but found a replacement in Flavovespia’s John Gildea that’s likely a bit of an upgrade. Beyond that, they signed Evermark’s Sparkling Ingrid at midfield, likely another small upgrade but nothing massive. All in all, a pretty run-of-the-mill window.
The Dragons were right behind Cannons most of the season, only to fall off at the end to finish sixth again, a somewhat disappointing mark after the IFCF looked like a near-certainty for so long. They haven’t done much in the transfer window and not much has changed elsewhere, so expect a similar finish this season.

Icecliff Pack FC
Location: Icecliff
Last Season: 7th
Stadium: Icecliff Pack Stadium (25,000)
Nicknames: Frozen North
Style: An aggressive midfield looks to turn the ball around before it reaches the defensive half.
Formation: 4-5-1
Manager: Edith Hjort
Key Player: S Ssehdo Kadfuss, LCM Hannah Van Vliet

Icecliff isn’t really a newer or older club. The most notable thing about them is their kits, which suck, especially their home kit. They probably should have been changed a long time ago, but their owner is nostalgic, which is unfortunate both for the organization and for our collective eyes.
Icecliff lost their heart and soul in Lucia Somers but gained Ssehdo Kadfuss, another of the Efnakian national teamers to enter the CIFA. Kadfuss can be expected to be the center of Icecliff’s offense, similar to how Somers was, but many experts consider him likely to perform even better. Icecliff also added a solid midfielder in Licentian Hannah Van Vliet to strengthen that group somewhat.
Last season’s seventh-place finish was a pleasant surprise but will not become the norm for Icecliff. Despite some small additions to the team, expect the Pack to return to the mean and be forced to engage in the relegation fight, which they got a welcome reprieve from last year but returns as a threat in the new season.

Jutland Cannons
Location: Jutland (East)
Last Season: 2nd
Stadium: Jutland City Stadium (45,000)
Nicknames: Bombardiers
Trophies: 1x CIFA Runners-Up
Style: Decidedly defensive, though a bit squishy. The Cannons will allow shots - they can afford it with Bergstrin - but they focus on not allowing good ones.
Formation: 4-5-1
Manager: Alexander Hanssen
Key Players: LCM Andre Vandendriessche, RB Redvin Chase, GK Kristin Bergstrin

Cannons is a younger, smaller club than Jutland FC. But it’s also, for the moment at least, a better club. The thing the Cannons have done best is creating an identity of tough, defensive football, especially in the box. The fans have embraced this, and this identity brings in some solid talent, too: Kristin Bergstrin wouldn’t be here if she didn’t want some extra help in front, and Redvin Chase wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t heard of the Cannons’ physical style, a style he now contributes to as one of the league’s top card-earners.
This was something of a slow window for Cannons, with just one signing. But it’s a very, very big one. Andre Vandendriessche, starter for the Brookstation national team and former captain of the Brookstation U21s, will join the Cannons. At just 23 years old, he will be a major contributor to the club for years to come.
Cannons had the title stolen right from under their noses last season, and that hurts. Expect Cannons to come back and try to get revenge on Brenville this season, as well as redoubling their efforts to take the title, something that their current roster has proven itself capable of doing, falling just short.

Jutland FC
Location: Jutland (West)
Last Season: 4th
Stadium: West Jutland Stadium (25,000)
Nicknames: Shipyards, Dreadnoughts
Style: A pretty defensive 4-4-2 that looks to press high and turn an opponent’s attack into its own.
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Evin Goshik (PFA)
Key Players: LM Lucas Oers, CB Frederick Johnson

Jutland FC is an older, storied club, its prestige dating back to the founding of the CIFA well before the sporting internationalization process. More so than the Cannons, this is very much a working-class club. Whereas most cities in Cordia have fewer clubs, and everyone supports the same club, Jutland has several, and the difference between them is class. Jutland FC is based near the shipyards, where it derives its nicknames and where many of its supporters have connections. West Jutland is, overall, not a wealthy area, with much of its population working in factories and the like. While Jutland Cannons derive their identity from their play on the field, FC derives their identity from where they come from, and who supports them.
Not for lack of trying, Jutland FC was not able to sign anybody in this transfer window, and instead actually sold two of their starters. Jutland FC will be relying on its signings from the last window to fill in.
Last season saw some pretty solid improvement from Jutland FC, going from eighth two years ago to fourth, sufficient to earn them a spot in the VCI. This season, the club wants to go much further, with a league title or at least an IFCF place after a few years of disappointing finishes. This roster has the potential to do that but has had few upgrades while clubs like Cordasfjord and Brenville have made a few major signings to JFC’s none.

Meadow Ridge Maples
Location: Meadow Ridge
Last Season: 3rd
Stadium: Southeast Maple Center (10,000)
Nicknames: Foresters, Tappers
Trophies: 1x Cordia Cup Runners-Up
Style: Very fluid formation-wise, probably the most so in the CIFA. The only real rule is that at least three players will hang back, but to the front of them is chaos.
Formation: 4-4-1-1
Manager: Marianna Adamsen
Key Players: S Ard Donders, CM Ada Baan

The Maples were formed a few years after the CIFA was founded when the new league began to expand. From there, the Maples were a reasonably successful club, sometimes dropping to League B but also taking home some silverware. When the internationalization process ended, Meadow Ridge found themselves in League B as a result of a surprising relegation, and for a while, it looked like they might stay there, as they faced injury trouble. But if there’s one thing we found out from watching Meadow Ridge in the first modern CIFA season, it’s that these maple farmers from the ridge have no quit in them. They hung on to that third promotion spot, and the rest is history. Or, not really. It wasn’t that long ago.
It was a pretty inactive transfer window for Meadow Ridge, but why fix what was never broken? The Maples’ roster has proven itself good enough to compete for the IFCF.
If two seasons ago was spectacular, last season was beyond words. But also a little bit disappointing. See, Meadow Ridge could have won the title with a win over Gilded City on the final day of the season, but instead fought to a 0-0 draw and watched as Brenville took the win over Westwall to take the Championship. But even being in that position was unimaginable for a team that was in League B a few short seasons ago. This season, they’d like more of the same, please. And that’s it.

Shelter Cove Captains
Location: Shelter Cove
Last Season: 13th
Stadium: Cove Center (12,000)
Nicknames: Pirates
Style: Aggressive, focus on getting balls into the box, and not shooting from outside.
Formation: 4-3-3
Manager: Heino Oster
Key Players: LW Urban Henriksen, CM Jens Simonssen

*yo-yos majestically*
^ the entire history of Shelter Cove summarized
Since relegation/promotion between League A and League B was introduced some 40-odd years ago, the Shelter Cove Captains have never stayed in the same league for more than three years. Nobody knows why; some people think their stadium was built on cursed land and that that’s the reason. We’ll never know for sure, for obvious reasons, but there’s a shot that Shelter Cove can break the curse over the next few seasons.
It was a pretty slow window for Shelter Cove, with one signing on a free and a sale, but nothing that big.
The Captains would have been relegated if it wasn’t for League A increasing in size. This season, the fans would be pretty happy to avoid relegation a second time; they don’t need more than that.

Skalton Harpers
Location: Skalton
Last Season: 10th
Stadium: Cordian Orchestra Stadium (40,000)
Nicknames: Golden Notes
Style: A slow attack focusing on building pressure and finding the perfect opportunity to shoot.
Formation: 4-3-2-1
Manager: Susanna Lind
Key Players: CB Sigrid Altena, GK Charlie Barrett

Skalton is home to just about every famous musician in Cordian history, and that culture makes its way into the club, with its logo featuring the harp and its stadium sponsored by the Cordian Orchestra. The stadium itself has some of the best acoustics in the isles (of course), and plays music at just around every remotely logical occasion, a personal favorite being The Box by Roddy Ricch for fouls in the box. Fans will also sing chants with varying degrees of vulgarity depending on how much they hate the opposition, with the most biting insults reserved for Cordasfjord.
So much happened for Skalton in the window, but yet very little actually changed. Kimani is gone, which is good for everyone involved. Skalton also purchased Magdalene Simen from Brenville, who should be a boon for an offense that has struggled in the past. Other than that, a few sales, but nothing very big.
The PK eliminations are starting to grate on Skalton’s fans, as it’s been in PKs every single time. Last season it was to Shelter Cove, after actually taking the lead in extra time. A tenth-placed finish last season showed a pretty solid defense on the Skalton side, but also an offense that’s among the league’s worst and something the Harpers have taken steps to address. Overall a pretty solid club that would like to get further in the Cordia Cup than it has, as well as a respectable finish in League A if possible.

Thor’s Rest Storm
(no, I don't have the energy to correct the error)
Location: Thor’s Rest
Last Season: 15th
Stadium: The Hand of Thor (45,000)
Nicknames: Thor’s Will
Style: A workhorse midfield will fill in both on offense and defense.
Formation: 3-4-3
Manager: Vaino Thorn
Key Player: CM Yesfir Borg

Thor’s Rest is an older club that used to be among the league’s best. However, a string of deteriorating performances dating back to pre-internationalization, with modern season one excepted, has led to decreasing support and funding. The Thunder are now nowhere near as good as they used to be, and they’re getting worse.
It was an interesting window for Thor’s Rest. The side did end up losing Rasmus Karlssen, the NT midfielder leaving for Nephara, no longer content with playing on a terrible team in a decent league. However, the Storm did manage to make a few signings to bolster their damaged midfield. Niall Kuol of the Ceyne Isles is a good player to have, already a national teamer at 22, and he will provide a nice boost to the midfield. Taking over from Karlssen is young prospect Yesfir Borg of Squornshelous. He’s already a solid player for the CIFA and at only 20 will continue to develop, hopefully into the Storm’s next midfield star.
Little was expected and little received. The Storm finished 15th of 15, dead last, and will have to engage in the relegation battle this season unless things turn around dramatically. Borg and Kuoll are good players to have given the situation, but the Storm could face another wave of players abandoning ship if they can’t get their act together.

Vikings FC
Location: Vik City
Last Season: 12th
Stadium: Vik City Stadium (35,000)
Nicknames: Raiders, Moneyheads
Style: Very stationary, with an emphasis on stretch passes.
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Ebba Saarinen
Key Players: CM Henry Smits, RM Angela Bouw, GK Tue Berntsen

Vikings are part of the multisport organization known as Viksport. Viksport owns teams in every major professional sports league in Cordia, all under the Vikings name. The organization and the team were founded around twenty years ago by Cordian billionaire Richard Carlsen, so it’s overall a pretty new club. However, Carlsen hasn’t put much money into the club so far, preferring to allow it to take its own course as a test of what it would be capable of. That might be due to change soon, if Carlsen is willing to put his fortune into making his clubs successful, starting at the transfer window.
A few minor signings upgraded Vikings’ roster slightly. They added Elvar Lehtonen from Icecaps, then signed Charlotte Aquilina of the Askari Union’s Grigio Calcio. Both are young backs and should provide a nice backbone for the club in years to come.
Vikings dipped a little bit low this season, finishing 12th, but there wasn’t any real urgency without relegation. Vikings fans will hope for another midtable performance this season, having come to expect about that level of play from their local club.

Westwall Stand
Location: Westwall
Last Season: 11th
Stadium: The Wall (20,000)
Nicknames: Steadfast
Style: Team-oriented yet decidedly aggressive, with individuals retaining very little possession and few individual plays made.
Formation: 3-3-3-1
Manager: Simon Simonsen
Key Players: RDM Tahvo Simonsen, CAM Maxwell Gorev

Westwall is another old club that has never really been great. Founded in Westwall, a small city/big town to the west of Danvirk, on the spit of land between the rest of the East Island and the Finger, Stand never really had a big player pool or a ton of money, so they’ve always been one of the better League B teams or worse League A teams. Westwall, similarly to Danvirk, is well known for resisting the Kordan invaders in the War of Unification, thus the club’s name, Stand.
It was a pretty quiet window from Westwall, who made one signing; Maxwell Gorev of the 14 Stars’ Almighty Faith U19s. Gorev will start and is a very good future project for the Stand.
Last season was solid for Westwall, finishing outside of the relegation zone had there been relegation. However, a 1-3 loss to FC Industrial in Cordia Cup Final Qualifying was painful and the team will be looking to avoid a similar exit in this year’s rendition of the Cup.

East Fjord FC
Location: East Fjord
Last Season: 2nd in League B
Stadium: East Fjord Sports Center (14,000)
Nicknames: Gold-and-Blacks
Style: A fairly balanced 4-4-2, nothing all that special.
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Lukas Iversen
Key Players: CB Paula Vinter, RM Jarkko Salonen

One of the older clubs, which fell into lower-league play soon after promotion/relegation was added due to a lack of funding. East Fjord has a healthy, if lopsided, rivalry with Skalton and Cordasfjord and can be expected to play the hardest against those clubs.
East Fjord finished on top of a very competitive chase group in League B, where just one point separated second and sixth. They put together one of the league’s better groups on both offense and defense, which they will need in League A if they want to so much as compete. They also have to deal with the Fjords Cup, which will feature Cordasfjord, Skalton and themselves. To be remotely competitive in that, they will have to get used to League A play quickly.

White River FC
Location: White River
Last Season: 1st in League B
Stadium: Riverwatch Field (20,000)
Nicknames: Rivermen
Style: Decidedly individualistic with a few very solid players and fewer passes than most teams.
Formation: 4-4-2
Manager: Anika Carstensen
Key Players: CM Harald Breiner, CB Knut Abel

White River is a relatively newer side, with crossriver rivals Channel Point drawing most of the money and attention for a while. But with both sides being yo-yo clubs, often the balance is about equal, and with last season’s League B Championship, it’s White River who’s the better of the two sides. Riverwatch Field is open at the south end, featuring majestic views of the White River and the area beyond.
Last season saw White River run away from the pack to a League B Championship by ten points. This makes them by far the favorites to have a solid opening League A performance. It remains to be seen if White River are up to the task of facing much better competition than they have in the past. They’ll certainly be relying a lot on Harald Breiner, the only genuine talent on the team, also making him the most likely to be poached by a bigger side, especially if White River goes back down.

Lakeshore Hersir
Location: Lakeshore
Last Season: 5th in League B
Stadium: Lakeshore Memorial Stadium (10,000)
Nicknames: Warriors
Style: Aggressive defense, the Hersir don’t intend to allow many chances.
Formation: 3-5-2
Manager: Ludvig Agnarsson
Key Players: LB Helge Olsen

Lakeshore once was a club with limitless potential, featuring two of the best young footballers in Cordia: Redvin Chase and Kristin Bergstrin. But then the worst happened: they got relegated, the two jumped ship to Cannons, and the rest is history. Helge Olson is a new, young prospect in the mold of those two, a defender on what is expected to rank among the league’s better defenses.
Lakeshore made it into League A by the skin on their teeth, earning promotion via the goal differential tiebreaker. Their team had the best defense in the leaue; if they can mantain anything near that standard, avoiding relegation could be possible. But right now, Lakeshore is among the top names in consideration for relegation.

Red Hill Smithers
Location: Red Hill
Last Season: 3rd in League B
Stadium: Hansen Field (8,000)
Nicknames: Blacksmiths, Forge
Style: Rather aggressive, with everybody pushing up. This is likely to get them slaughtered.
Formation: 4-3-3
Manager: Tryggvi Winther
Key Players: LW Lage Andreasen

This is a pretty old club, predating the CIFA, but it also sucks. Red Hill is a solidly low-to-middle League B side, sometimes dipping into League C but almost never into League A. The Smithers hail from the smallish city of Red Hill, largely funded by the mining industry and with a cultural history of mining and metalworking - thus, Smithers.
Red Hill does not belong here, has never belonged here, and likely will never belong here. They placed third in League B despite a minus-1 GD, and they play aggressive football. Make no mistake, this will get them absolutely slaughtered in League A play, and it will not be pretty. This could be a historically bad League A side.

Valley Fold Vanquishers
Location: Valley Fold
Last Season: 4th in League B
Stadium: Valley Fold Community Stadium (10,000)
Nicknames: The Valley Fold Regional Spelling Bee
Style: A focus on taking possession and advancing the ball quickly so as to get it out of the defensive half.
Formation: 4-2-2-2
Manager: Thor Aalto
Key Players: S Evelina Danielsen, RB Jean Admiraal

Another club predating the CIFA, Valley Fold’s red-and-gold colors are worn by small but extremely loyal following in the Valley. Their fanbase can be expected to shout, cheer, and sing through the entirety of matches in well-below-freezing Valley Fold weather. With that kind of support behind them, it’s no wonder that among those who can bear the climate, Valley Fold players stay with the club for so long.
Jean Admiraal is the perfect example of the above. A NT-caliber back, she elected to stick with the Vanquishers even when they were sent back down to League B and has been instrumental in their recovery. Valley Fold also has several intriguing youth prospects on its roster that could make an impact in future years. Last season saw Valley Fold play very good football overall despite a large draw total that manager Thor Aalto chalks up to “balls of all kinds freezing to the ground”. That said, the Vanquishers also had the fewest losses of any team in the league, showing an ability to turn losses to draws that will aid them in League A. However, with a 4th-place finish, Valley Fold is absolutely in the relegation conversation early on.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Fri Jun 10, 2022 4:33 pm

April - MDs 1-5 + CC Q1

CIFA League A                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Brenville Blue                5    5   0   0    15    3  +12    15
 2 Jutland Cannons               5    4   1   0    13    3  +10    13
 3 Jutland FC                    5    4   0   1     9    2   +7    12
 4 Danvirk FC                    5    4   0   1    13    6   +7    12
 5 Meadow Ridge Maples           5    3   2   0    14    9   +5    11
 6 Vikings FC                    5    3   1   1     4    1   +3    10
 7 Creston Wolves                5    2   2   1    16   12   +4     8
 8 Thor's Rest Storm             5    2   2   1    12   10   +2     8
 9 Cordasfjord FC                5    2   0   3    11    7   +4     6
10 Shelter Cove Captains         5    2   0   3     8    8    0     6
11 Skalton Harpers               5    2   0   3     5    6   −1     6
12 Lakeshore Hersir              5    2   0   3     6    8   −2     6
13 Westwall Stand                5    2   0   3     8   11   −3     6
14 Eriksson Icecaps              5    2   0   3    11   14   −3     6
15 White River FC                5    2   0   3     5    9   −4     6
16 Gilded City Dragons           5    2   0   3     4    9   −5     6
17 Icecliff Pack FC              5    1   0   4     3    7   −4     3
18 East Fjord FC                 5    1   0   4     7   15   −8     3
19 Valley Fold Vanquishers       5    0   2   3     2    8   −6     2
20 Red Hill Smithers             5    0   0   5     2   20  −18     0

Top Performers:
Brenville Blue
Brenville has absolutely dominated thus far. They’ve got five wins, including 3-0 at White River and 5-1 against Eriksson. Also, notably, their defense has been unusually watertight, with just three goals allowed in five matches. That could be a trend to keep an eye on in the future; Brenville with defensive skill is a scary thing to think about. However, their matches so far have hardly been challenging, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Blue manage against quality competition.

Jutland Cannons
It’s Cannons and Brenville again at the top of the table. Cannons have been nearly as explosive as Brenville, but the difference is that their wins have come against much stronger competition, with one of the highlights being a 1-0 victory in the opening leg of the Jutland Derby and another win coming against Cordasfjord. Cannons’ offense has been nearly as good as Brenville’s, which is something else to look closely at as the season progresses.

Thor’s Rest Storm
Thor’s Rest put four goals on the board against Gilded City, and the club has gone from dead-last in the league to sitting in the high midtable at eighth. It won’t last long, but Storm fans should enjoy it while it lasts. Maybe. There’s an off chance that the Storm’s Transfer Window moves were a net gain despite the loss of Karlsson, and that the team will be alright this year.

Worst Performers:

Red Hill Smithers
It was apparent by the third matchday that Red Hill does not belong in the League A. They’ve scored two goals and allowed twenty. That they managed to get promoted from the League B is nothing short of a miracle, but we know almost for a fact already that they’ll be going back down this season.

Gilded City Dragons
The question everyone is asking: what the hell happened to the Dragons? They fell apart late last season and that appears to have continued into this season. In two separate matches, against low-quality teams, they allowed four goals apiece, for a total of eight. As for who is to blame? It’s hard to tell. John Gildea was supposed to be as good as Hendriks but doesn’t appear to be quite holding up. The other new purchase, Sparkling Ingrid of Evermark, hasn’t done a ton either. One thing is for certain: Gilded City needs to bounce back somehow, and their team right now is just not cutting it.

Valley Fold Vanquishers
Like Red Hill, they’ve only scored two goals in five matches. Unlike Red Hill, they’ve managed two draws for two points. Is this good? No. Valley Fold absolutely sucks and will need to put on a much better show if they’re even going to stay up this season. Emil Rosenberg has been a bright spot for the club, performing at a high level all-around and being a massive boon to the Vanquishers’ left side. It’s just not enough.

April Best XI:
ST: Sebastian Voll - Brenville Blue
ST: Ard Donders - Meadow Ridge Maples
MF: Andre Vandendriessche (BRO) - Jutland Cannons
MF: Brividi Farfalle (QAD) - Brenville Blue
MF: John Parkinson (EXT) - Creston Wolves
MF: Erik Mathiasen - Vikings FC
DF: Milani Goransson - Brenville Blue
DF: Redvin Chase - Jutland Cannons
DF: Allison Ember (TFS) - Jutland FC
DF: Sigrid Altena - Skalton Harpers
GK: Tue Berntsen - Vikings FC

Derby Watch:

Fjords Cup (MD 1)
Cordasfjord FC 2-3 East Fjord FC
In its League A opener, East Fjord stunned Cordasfjord to take a lead in the Fjords Cup, with contributions from Jorn Anthonsen (2) and Josef Jonsson put the promoted side up, while solid play late from Cathrine Lundquist secured the win.

Northside Derby (MD 2)
Icecliff Pack FC 2-4 Creston Wolves
Ssehdo Kadfuss and Hannah Van Vliet scored in the first half for Icecliff, who took a comfortable lead into the second half at Icecliff Pack Stadium. But the Wolves came roaring back, with three goals in the first twenty minutes of the second half to take the lead. From there, a back-and-forth ensued until Creston managed to extend their lead as Icecliff, desperate, pressed hard for a goal. So Creston takes a two-goal lead going into the derby’s second leg at home.

Jutland Derby (MD 4)
Jutland Cannons 1-0 Jutland FC
It’s recent signing Andre Vandendriessche with the 83rd-minute goal to put Cannons over FC in the fourth match of the season. The orange crowd went absolutely wild, bursting into song for the match’s final minutes. Jutland FC will have to pull out something special in the home side of the derby if they want to reclaim the City Cup this season, one of their major goals.

Cordia Cup Qualifying 1
West Skalton FC 0-2 Marble Heights Ascent
Seewatch Club 1-0 AFC Greenbank
Woods Elite FC 1-1 Midvik Varangians (2-2 AET, 2-1 PKs)
Brightway Stargazers 1-2 Blaora Township
Briarville AFC 2-1 Middle Fjords
East Vik FC 3-1 Thenesse FC
FC Whitebridge 1-0 Belland FC
Shining Lake FC 0-0 AFC Blackmill (2-0 AET)
Red Winter Club 0-0 Southbeach Sailors (0-0 AET, 3-4 PKs)
Chesterfield Club 1-1 North Valley (1-1 AET, 3-1 PKs)
Doveport FC 0-1 Silver Club
Fireport Flames 2-1 Sporting Red Hill
Threshers FC 2-1 East Cliff Cove FC
Griffin Heights FC 1-1 Riverborne Raiders (1-1 AET, 1-4 PKs)
Aella Eagles 0-0 Lake Hervor FC (0-0 AET, 1-3 PKs)
Ice Fields 1-0 Reya FC

Cordia Domestic Sports Newswire

Cordia Domestic Sports Newswire

CFA Season 1 - Not RPed

CIHL Post-Internationalization Season 1

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